With Black Friday just around the corner, gamers everywhere are wondering: Will Sony’s brand-new PS5 Pro be part of the holiday deals? Launched with widespread availability – unlike the infamous scarcity of the original PS5 launch – the PS5 Pro is currently still in stock across major retailers, making it a prime candidate for any potential discounts.
The PS5 Pro is designed for gamers who prioritize graphics and performance, especially those with high-end TVs that can take full advantage of its power. But it comes at a premium: At $700 plus tax (and minus a disc drive), it’s an investment that makes sense if you’re looking to elevate your gaming experience. Not everyone needs it, of course; if you’re satisfied with your current visuals or aren’t particularly sensitive to frame rates, the PS5 Pro may be more of a luxury than a necessity. But will there be a holiday discount that makes its improvements more appealing?
Will the PS5 Pro Be On Sale for Black Friday?
While major hardware discounts are rarely a sure thing on brand-new releases, Black Friday might bring some unexpected deals. In the announcement for Sony’s lineup of Black Friday deals, the PS5 Pro was (unsurprisingly) nowhere to be found. (What was included: a very nice deal on PS VR2, a discounted Fortnite and PS5 bundle, and sales on plenty of great new games.) However, some retailers could surprise shoppers with modest discounts or exclusive PS5 Pro bundles.
The PS5 Slim, for example, was released last year at a similar time and ended up getting a free game bundle (Spider-Man 2 or Modern Warfare 3) at the end of November. We’ll be keeping an eye out to see if any retailers step up with a Black Friday special.
That said, if you already own a PS5 or PS4, an easy way to save some money on a new PS5 Pro is going the trade-in route, which you can start through PlayStation Direct or GameStop. Depending on the condition of the model you’re trading in, you could get more than $250 in cash or store credit to put toward a PS5 Pro… which at least nudges to price closer to reasonable without an official sale on the books.
Should You Buy the PS5 Pro Now or Wait for Black Friday?
The PS5 Pro offers undeniable upgrades, but whether it’s essential depends on your gaming needs. If you’re all about graphics and have the display to support it, the Pro could be well worth the price. However, if you’re looking to save, holding out just a little longer to see if Black Friday brings any bundles or minor discounts might be a smart move.
Be sure to check back for updates on Black Friday deals, as we’ll be following any price changes closely. Whether you jump in now or decide to wait, the PS5 Pro represents a significant leap for Sony’s console lineup and a tempting choice for those looking to elevate their gaming experience.
Looking to pick up a PS5 Pro? You can check out our guide on where to buy a PS5 Pro, Blu-ray disc drive, and vertical stand for details. You can also check out our top PS5 accessory picks by category below:
Best PS5 ControllersBest PS5 Headsets
What We Said in Our Review – PS5 Pro
Here’s what Michael Higham had to say about the PS5 Pro in his review: “Considering that the PS5 generation has largely been described as ‘What if the PS4 was faster?’ it’s a little difficult to get all that excited about a console that promises to be a faster PS5. The PS5 Pro delivers on that, for sure, and if you find the standard PS5 leaving more to be desired from a technical perspective, it’s an intriguing prospect: running Pro-enhanced games in the new performance modes gives you essentially the old fidelity modes now targeting 60fps, sometimes with extra improvements.
“Sony’s AI-powered PSSR upscaling tech is certainly impressive when playing games that’ve been updated for it, giving console players the same type of image quality and frame rate improvements that Nvidia’s DLSS has delivered on the PC side in recent years. You’re not entirely free from compromises because you often still have to choose between that new standard and even better-looking fidelity modes at 30fps, though I’ve found going with performance an easier choice. At $700, it’s not cheap, so you have to really desire that visual upgrade knowing that it doesn’t transform the gameplay experience at a fundamental level – and to be fair, Sony never said it would. So as it stands, the PS5 Pro isn’t essential, but it is certainly nice to have.”
PS5 Pro vs. PS5: What’s New?
So, what’s all the fuss about with the PS5 Pro? For starters, it eliminates the need to pick between graphics and performance – an increasingly common trade-off in modern games.
When Mark Cerny announced the PS5 Pro, the big selling point he kept mentioning is that you won’t have to choose between graphics and performance. Many AAA games these days offer you the choice between playing a 60fps with downgraded graphics or at 30fps with clear, sharp graphics.
Per the official PlayStation Blog post announcing the system, here are the three main highlights of the upcoming console:
Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother.Advanced Ray Tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.AI-Driven Upscaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.
For more techy info, check out our PS5 Pro vs. PS5 spec breakdown. And for a more experiential take on it, hop over to our PS5 Pro hands-on preview.
What Games Have PS5 Pro Enhancements?
The PS5 Pro will be backwards compatible with all games that play on the original PS5, but some games will have special PS5 Pro enhancements. Sony has confirmed a number of games that will have PS5 Pro enhancements at launch:
Alan Wake 2AlbatrozApex LegendsArma ReforgerAssassin’s Creed MirageBaldur’s Gate 3Call of Duty: Black Ops 6EA Sports College Football 25Dead Island 2Demon’s SoulsDiablo IVDragon Age: The VeilguardDragon’s Dogma 2Dying Light 2 Reloaded EditionEA Sports FC 25EnlistedF1 24Final Fantasy VII RebirthFortniteGod of War RagnarökHogwarts LegacyHorizon Forbidden WestHorizon Zero Dawn RemasteredKayak VR: MirageLies of PMadden NFL 25Marvel’s Spider-Man RemasteredMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesMarvel’s Spider-Man 2Naraka: BladepointNBA2K 25No Man’s SkyPalworldPaladin’s PassagePlanet Coaster 2Professional Spirits Baseball 2024-2025Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartResident Evil 4Resident Evil VillageRise of the RoninRogue Flight Star Wars: Jedi SurvivorStar Wars: OutlawsStellar BladeTest Drive Unlimited: Solar CrownThe Callisto ProtocolThe Crew MotorfestThe FinalsThe First Descendant The Last of Us Part IThe Last of Us Part II RemasteredUntil DawnWar ThunderWarframeWorld of Warships: Legends
When Is Black Friday 2024?
We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. If you want to keep up with the latest and greatest deals across each platform in general, make sure to check out our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
