PS5 Pro Delivers 30% Performance Boost with Minimal Increase in Power Consumption Compared to Base Model

Digital Foundry recently delved into the power consumption of the PlayStation 5 Pro and found some intriguing results. In a lively discussion on YouTube with Richard Leadbetter, John Linneman, and Oliver Mackenzie, they revealed that the PS5 Pro uses almost as much power as the regular PS5, even though it packs a more powerful GPU.

Their analysis included tests on popular titles like Elden Ring, Spider-Man 2, and F1 24, comparing them across the original PS5 model, the sleeker PS5 Slim, and the power-packed PS5 Pro. Each game was tested using the Pro’s graphics-enhanced version to get a clear picture of performance.

When it came to Elden Ring, the PS5 Pro’s power usage closely mirrored that of the PS5 Slim. During their testing, the Pro model drew about 214.1 watts, while the Slim used 216.2 watts, and the original model drew 201.3 watts. Frame rates saw a boost on the Pro, hitting 52 FPS compared to the Slim’s 40 FPS and the original’s 37 FPS. It’s important to note, though, that the Slim and launch model performance comparison might change due to sample variation in Digital Foundry’s benchmarks. Essentially, the PS5 Pro manages to deliver a frame rate that’s 30% higher, using similar power to the Slim version.

Spider-Man 2 offered a bit of a different picture since the frame rate was capped at 60 FPS for all consoles. Here, the Pro used slightly more power, clocking in at 232 watts as opposed to the Slim’s 218.2 watts and the original’s 208.1 watts. In this scenario, the Pro consumed 6% more power than the Slim and 11% more than the launch version. Although Digital Foundry didn’t share as much information about F1 24, they did note that the PS5 Pro ran at around 235 watts, maintaining a steady 60FPS in-game.

It’s vital not to dismiss the differences in performance among the launch model and Slim; variations often occur due to the quality of the silicon, explaining why the Slim lagged behind the original in some situations. This variance means that some consoles might reach their maximum CPU speeds at lower voltages.

Overall, Digital Foundry’s findings showed that the PS5 Pro doesn’t deviate much in power consumption from its predecessors, despite expectations it might surpass 300 watts. This was surprising given the PS5 Pro’s impressive specs—which include an 8-core Zen 2 CPU and a robust 16.7 TFLOP RDNA-based GPU, coupled with 576 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Comparatively, the standard models host the same CPU with potentially altered clocks, but a less powerful 10.28 TFLOP RDNA-based GPU with 448 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

These insights highlight the technological strides made with the PS5 Pro, merging advanced performance with efficient power usage, an unexpected yet welcome discovery for gaming enthusiasts.