PS5 Pro: price, specs and verdict against the Steam Machine

The PS5 Pro is still, in late 2026, the most powerful home console on the market, but it has never been so expensive or so hard to find. Sony has charged €899.99 (about 590,000 FCFA) for it since April, which is €100 more than when it came out in November 2024, and the shelves have emptied as GTA 6 approaches. It remains genuinely worthwhile for anyone who owns a large 4K TV and plays a lot, especially since PSSR 2 arrived. For everyone else, a regular PS5 does almost as well for €250 less.

Introduction: the PS5 Pro in 2026, more expensive than at launch

Announced on 10 September 2024 and on sale since 7 November 2024, the PS5 Pro is not a new generation. It is a PS5 with beefed-up graphics, the same processor, the same library and the same interface. Sony aims it at players who refuse to choose between the “fidelity” mode and the “performance” mode in recent games.

Two years on, its price has gone up instead of down. Launched at €799.99 (about 525,000 FCFA), it moved to €899.99 on 2 April 2026, at the same time as the standard PS5 rose to €649.99. Sony points to continued pressures on the global economy. The press mostly sees the effect of the memory shortage, which is pushing up the cost of RAM and SSDs.

The PS5 Pro therefore targets a narrow audience: players with a 4K 120 Hz TV, who spend a lot of time on big-budget games and do not want a PC. On a Full HD screen, or if you mostly play football and fighting games, the difference is barely visible.

Verdict in brief: our take on the PS5 Pro

This assessment rests on the reviews published since 2024 and on the 2026 updates, not on a hands-on trial of our own. IGN gave the PS5 Pro 7/10 at launch, summing it up as a machine that simply makes games look better and run more smoothly. TechRadar scored it 4/5.

Three figures matter. The graphics chip reaches 16.7 teraflops against 10.28 on the PS5, which Sony translates as rendering up to 45% faster. Storage doubles, to 2 TB. The 8-core AMD Zen 2 processor, on the other hand, does not change, and that is the machine’s limit.

Design: a 3.1 kg tower with no disc drive

The PS5 Pro borrows the lines of the 2023 PS5 “Slim”, only taller: 388 x 89 x 216 mm for 3.1 kg. Three black grooves cut across its white sides. The panels still unclip to give access to the fan and to the M.2 slot that takes a second SSD.

Disc drive and stand as options

This is Sony’s most disputed decision: at this price, the machine ships without a Blu-ray drive. The detachable drive, shared with the PS5 Slim, costs €79.99 (about 52,000 FCFA) since the April 2025 price cut, against €119.99 at launch. The vertical stand is charged at around thirty euros.

In West and Central Africa, that drive is anything but a gimmick. A recent game often weighs more than 100 GB, and the data plan needed to download it can cost more than the game itself. Discs also let you lend and resell your games.

The CFI-7121 revision, slightly quieter

Since 30 September 2025, units delivered in Europe carry the reference CFI-7121, which replaces the CFI-7021. The exterior is identical. The teardown published by YouTuber Austin Evans shows about a hundred grams less and power consumption in games reduced by 3 to 4%.

Display and video output: 4K at 120 Hz, provided you have the right TV

A home console has no screen: everything depends on the one you plug it into. The HDMI 2.1 output delivers 4K at up to 120 Hz, and handles HDR and variable refresh rate (VRR), which smooths out stutter.

The television does half the work. On a 4K panel limited to 60 Hz and without VRR, part of the PS5 Pro’s advantage disappears. On a Full HD screen, the gain shrinks to a slightly cleaner image. Before spending €900, look for three mentions on your TV’s spec sheet: HDMI 2.1, 120 Hz and VRR.

As for ports, the front has two USB-C ports, and the back has two USB-A ports at 10 Gbit/s as well as a gigabit Ethernet socket. Wi-Fi 7 is only useful if your router supports it too.

Performance of the PS5 Pro: a faster GPU, an unchanged processor

The promise fits in one sentence: getting the image quality of “fidelity” mode at the frame rate of “performance” mode. On a regular PS5, you often have to choose between a handsome image at 30 frames per second and a blurrier one at 60. The PS5 Pro aims for both at once, with ray tracing two to three times faster according to Sony.

What the published reviews say

The 2024 reviews agree. TechRadar describes a gain that is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, visible in Alan Wake 2 or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Digital Foundry recorded up to 35% more frames in Elden Ring. Ars Technica had the most accurate line: the problem with the PS5 Pro is that the PS5 is already very good.

PSSR 2: the real news of 2026

PSSR is Sony’s AI-based upscaling: the game is rendered at a lower resolution, then reconstructed in 4K. The 2024 version shimmered in certain titles. PSSR 2, which arrived on 17 March 2026, comes out of Project Amethyst, run jointly with AMD, and shares the core of the FSR 4 algorithm.

According to Journal du Geek and Tom’s Hardware, it mainly improves hair, foliage and image stability. About a dozen games have received a dedicated patch, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Monster Hunter Wilds and Silent Hill f. For the other compatible titles, a system option forces the new version. According to Tech Insider, the firmware of 16 September 2026 switches it on by default.

Frame generation, which inserts AI-computed frames between rendered ones, will have to wait. Mark Cerny, the console’s architect, confirmed to Digital Foundry that it would come to PlayStation “at some point”, but not in 2026.

PS5 Pro and GTA 6: 30 frames per second, as on the PS5

It is the game selling the console this autumn, and the one that exposes its limit. GTA 6 comes out on 19 November 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series, with no PC version at launch. According to remarks by Rob Nelson of Rockstar North, reported by Kotaku, it targets 30 frames per second on every console, PS5 Pro included.

In an open world packed with pedestrians and vehicles, it is the processor that hits the ceiling, and it is identical on both machines. The graphics chip and PSSR should deliver a finer image, not a doubled frame rate. Do not buy this model counting on a mode that does not exist yet.

Game library and compatibility: more than a hundred enhanced titles

Every PS5 game works on both consoles, with no exclusives at all. The difference lies in the “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label, which flags settings specific to the machine. There were 55 of them at launch; there are more than a hundred in 2026.

Titles that have not been updated benefit from Game Boost mode, which steadies the frame rate of PS5 and PS4 games. Almost the entire PS4 library is compatible, as on the standard console, which we have already pitted against its rival in a PS5 vs Xbox Series X face-off.

Ergonomics and controllers: the DualSense, unchanged

The bundled controller is the usual DualSense, with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Its battery life, often judged short by users, means keeping a USB-C cable within reach. Only one comes with the PS5 Pro. All PS5 accessories remain compatible.

Battery: a home console, so power draw and noise

There is no battery here: the question is about the wall socket and the fan. Sony quotes a maximum rated power of 390 W. Digital Foundry’s measurements give about 230 W in games for the PS5 Pro, against roughly 215 W for a PS5. At two hours a day, that comes to nearly 170 kWh a year, or around thirty euros with a kilowatt-hour at €0.20.

Contained noise, but not silence

Hwbusters’ measurements put the console under 30 dBA, a little louder than the PS5 in games and quieter at idle. The 2025 revision gains about 2 dB according to Austin Evans. That is still a long way from the 20 to 21 dBA of the Steam Machine recorded by Gamers Nexus.

Power cuts: protect the console

Where the electricity drops out, a cut during a save or an update can corrupt data. An uninterruptible power supply solves the problem: with 230 W for the console and about a hundred for the television, a 1,000 VA model leaves enough time to shut down cleanly.

Software: the same interface as the PS5, with extra settings

The system is the one found on every PS5: home screen, PlayStation Store, trophies and saves are waiting for you as soon as you sign in to your account. No graphics setting is required.

The additions specific to the PS5 Pro are in the “Screen and Video” menu: PSSR, Game Boost and PS4 game enhancement. Online play in paid titles still requires a PlayStation Plus subscription, where Steam asks for nothing.

In most countries of West and Central Africa, the PlayStation Store has no local storefront. Many players use an account registered in France, topped up with prepaid cards in euros. Ask your retailer for advice.

Against the competition: PS5 Pro or Steam Machine?

Since 29 June 2026, Valve has been selling its Steam Machine, a living-room PC running SteamOS, from €1,039 (about 682,000 FCFA) with 512 GB and no controller.

Power and price: advantage Sony

In graphics processing, the PS5 Pro is clearly ahead. Published reviews place Valve’s cube at the level of a standard PS5, with only 8 GB of video memory but a more modern Zen 4 processor. The price leans the same way: €899.99 with 2 TB and a controller, against €1,039 with 512 GB.

Games and usage: two philosophies

The Steam Machine takes the lead elsewhere. It plays a Steam library you have already paid for, asks for no subscription for online play, doubles as a computer and makes less noise. It does stumble on certain anti-cheat systems, though, and will not run GTA 6 at launch, for lack of a PC version.

For PlayStation exclusives and Rockstar’s game in November, the PS5 Pro is the obvious choice. If your game collection is on Steam, Valve’s machine makes more sense. Players on the move will look instead at the Steam Deck OLED or the ROG Xbox Ally X, both already covered in our comparison of the Switch 2, Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally.

PS5 Pro price and availability: France, Europe, Africa

The official price and the full bill

The recommended price of the PS5 Pro in France has been €899.99 (about 590,000 FCFA) since 2 April 2026, and $899.99 in the United States. The official PlayStation 5 Pro page details what is in the box. For a complete setup, the total climbs quickly:

• console alone: €899.99 (about 590,000 FCFA);
• disc drive: €79.99 (about 52,000 FCFA);
• vertical stand: about €30 (about 20,000 FCFA);
• GTA 6 standard edition: €79.99 (about 52,000 FCFA).

That makes nearly €1,090 (about 715,000 FCFA) with a single game, without a second controller or a subscription.

A shortage that distorts prices

Finding the PS5 Pro at that price has become the real problem. On 28 September 2026, Xboxygen counted eight out of nine major French retailers out of stock, and offers from third-party sellers at between €1,500 and €2,000 (984,000 to 1,312,000 FCFA). According to the German site PlayFront, relayed by Jeuxvideo.com, Sony has reportedly warned its distributors of supply constraints until early 2027, without confirming it publicly.

Do not pay more than the official price. Sony has announced no bundle with GTA 6, and the packs spotted at retailers, such as the one from Germany’s Cyberport at €999, sometimes cost more than the console and the game bought separately.

Where to buy the PS5 Pro at the best price

Console Sony PlayStation 5 Pro

• AmazonSee at Amazon
• FnacSee at Fnac

Some links on this page are affiliate links: Wanda-techs may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our opinion.

What about West and Central Africa?

In most countries in the region, everything goes through import. On Jumia Côte d’Ivoire, the PS5 Pro was listed at between 830,000 and 866,500 FCFA (about €1,265 to €1,320) in early October 2026, by third-party sellers, which is at least 40% more than the European price. In Cameroon and Senegal, we found no reliable public price: shops in Douala, Yaoundé or Dakar mostly work to order.

Before paying, ask in writing what the seller covers, because Sony’s warranty does not apply outside the country of purchase. Also check the voltage shown on the label: a model intended for North America is not necessarily designed for 220 V. The games themselves are not region-locked.

Pros and cons

Pros

• The fastest graphics chip in a home console, at 16.7 teraflops.
• PSSR 2, which improved the machine in 2026 at no extra cost.
• A 2 TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7 and an HDMI 2.1 output in 4K at 120 Hz.
• More than a hundred enhanced games and the whole PS5 and PS4 library.
• Total simplicity: no settings, no drivers.

Cons

• A price raised to €899.99, with neither a disc drive nor a stand.
• The same processor as the PS5, which holds back open-world games.
• A gain that is hard to see without a 4K 120 Hz TV with VRR.
• Scarce stock and speculative resale until 2027.
• A compulsory subscription for online play.

The most obvious alternative is not in this table: it is the standard PS5 at €649.99 (about 426,000 FCFA), disc drive included. It plays the same games and leaves €250 for a controller and two games.

Conclusion: should you buy the PS5 Pro in late 2026?

Yes, in one specific case: you play demanding games for several hours a week, you have a 4K 120 Hz TV and you find the PS5 Pro at €899.99. You will then have the best console version of most games, on a machine that has improved through software since its release.

No, if you already own a PS5 and GTA 6 is your only motivation: the game is announced at the same frame rate on both models. No again if the only unit available costs €1,500. In that case a standard PS5 is the better buy, or you can wait for the 2027 restocks.

Then there is what comes next. Rumours place the PS6 between late 2027 and early 2028, but Sony’s boss, Hiroki Totoki, has acknowledged that no date has been set, even internally. The PS5 Pro therefore has at least two good years ahead of it.

Frequently asked questions

Still torn between this and a living-room PC? Our full Steam Machine page details its performance and its limits. Tell us in the comments what price you found yours at.