Various Concept Designs by Shinku Kim, using 3DCoat almost exclusively.https://www.artstation.com/shinku

"SSAR Walker - Prototype 001" Concept Design by Dao Vi at Santa Monica Studios, using 3DCoat, Blender, Substance & Photoshop.https://www.artstation.com/artwork/w0XVX6

The PlayStation 5 Pro has certainly transformed public perception leading up to its launch. The price point of $699.99 isnt the most appealing, especially with the vertical stand and Blu-ray disc drive sold separately (and good luck getting the latter thanks to scalpers). However, more and more titles have showcased the tangible benefits that the console provides, whether its brute-forcing improved performance on certain titles or utilizing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to deliver 4K at 60 FPS, that too with ray tracing.What are some of the best PS5 titles you can play while leveraging the consoles benefits and why? Check out our ten top picks here.No Mans SkyHello Games No Mans Sky was already looking pretty good on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S but its a completely different beast on PS5 Pro. Not only does it offer 4K/60 FPS courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, but it also supports 8K at 30 FPS. Regardless of which modes you go for, ambient occlusion, reflections and lighting are much higher quality. And though its probably not something that most would go for, given how much work went into the update, seeing all these improvements on PlayStation VR2 is also pretty great.Marvels Spider-Man 2Many developers leveraged the PS5 in different ways, but Insomniac Games has been a cut above, offering a multitude of options for customizing frame rate, resolution and ray tracing quality in its games. It goes even further in Marvels Spider-Man 2, introducing Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro modes. While the former delivers 60 frames per second with ray tracing and the same image quality as Fidelity, the latter goes even further with its details.More traffic and pedestrian density, customizable ray-traced reflections, ambient occlusion, and key light shadows it showcases the world in a much better light. The freedom to fine tune these options to leverage Variable Refresh Rate displays is also appreciated, making this one of the best PS5 Pro titles in the market.Ratchet and Clank: Rift ApartOf course, it would make sense that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart looks just as stunning. As noted before, Insomniac Games did an incredible job with the PS5 version and bumped the quality even further on PS5 Pro. Though it lacks ray-traced key light shadows like Marvels Spider-Man 2, you get all of the same benefits, from Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro to setting the quality of ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion. Best of all? You can go with Fidelity Pro and still average about 60 FPS (especially with VRR enabled), as tested by Digital Foundry, and its truly the best of both worlds.Horizon Forbidden WestHorizon Forbidden West already looked phenomenal on the PS5, even if 60 frames per second was the clear winner for many players. On PS5 Pro, Guerrilla Games went with a new upsampling solution independent of PSSR, resulting in higher image quality in Performance Mode. Quality Mode is even better, as it offers improved hair and skin, lighting volumetrics, and shadow filtering while rendering at native 4K. The results really speak for themselves and showcase just how much higher the console can take even some of the best-looking games.Final Fantasy 7 RebirthAs a recent PS5 exclusive, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received some flak for its performance and image quality at launch. On PS5 Pro, it receives Versatility Mode, combining the best of both worlds to offer 60 frames per second at dynamic 4K courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. How dynamic? According to ElAnalistaDeBits, the internal resolution ranges from 1080p to 1440p, which is then upscaled using PSSR. While that may seem disappointing, the performance and image quality are better than their respective options on PS5.Alan Wake 2As one of the more aesthetically amazing survival horrors in years, Alan Wake 2 is all the more unique for how it runs on PS5 Pro. Quality Mode delivers 30 FPS with ray-traced reflections, rendering at 21761224 and outputting at native 4K. Meanwhile, Performance Mode runs at 60 frames per second, with a rendering resolution of 1536864 and outputting at 4K while offering the same fidelity as Quality Mode on the PS5. The results are pretty impressive, whether youre seeking better quality 60 FPS or more stunning visuals at 4K.F1 24While theres significant hype for Gran Turismo 7 and its 8K mode, perhaps the most surprising racing title to run on PS5 Pro is F1 24. Ray tracing applies to Quality Mode while racing and not just replays, and combined with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, it also allows for 4K at 60 FPS. You can see all the reflections on the car chassis, distant reflections on building windows in the distance, and reflections from puddles, which look stunning. But thats not all as it also allows for 120 Hz Performance Mode and 8K/60 Hz. Though the latter still feels experimental, its still very sharp looking, if Codemasters delivers on PSSR for the latter, F1 24 could very well be the standard for 8K racing on the console.Baldurs Gate 3As amazing as Baldurs Gate 3 was when it launched last year, PS5 players can attest to severe performance issues (especially in Act 3). Its gotten much better following multiple updates, but the PS5 Pro version is worth noting, especially because it delivers visual quality thats the equivalent of the PC versions Ultra settings. While Performance Mode benefits from PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to upscale 1440p to 4K at 60 FPS, it does still have some stutters in some of the games busier locations. Nevertheless, its still a solid update and one that will hopefully see more improvements over time.The Last of Us Part 2 RemasteredAs much of a meme as The Last of Us and its remasters have been, theres no denying that somehow, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered manages to look even better on PS5 Pro. Though rendering at 1440p, Pro Mode upscales and outputs it to 4K while targeting 60 frames per second, the latter remaining fairly locked throughout. All of its details (and there are a lot to behold) look even more stunning than ever, with breathtaking clarity.Gran Turismo 7Gran Turismo 7 already set expectations before the PS5 Pros launch with its experimental 8K/60 FPS mode. While the update leverages PSSR to deliver some impressive image quality at 60 FPS, the image quality is noted by Digital Foundry to be less sharp than PS5. On the bright side, it is leveraging higher-quality ray tracing reflections and cube maps. If all that doesnt sound good enough, you could leave the game unpatched and run it at 4K/120 FPS on the console.

When Sony finally unveiled the PlayStation 5 on June 11th, it was following a showcase of several new titles. Ratchet and Clank returned in Rift Apart; Miles Morales would star in his own Spider-Man title. Polyphony Digital was finally delivering a new mainline Gran Turismo. Returnal represented a stunning new direction for Housemarque, Astros Playroom saw the beloved platforming mascot transitioning to non-VR, and Destruction AllStars waswell, present.Perhaps the two biggest takeaways were Horizon Forbidden West, the follow-up to the successful Zero Dawn, and a remake of Demons Souls by Bluepoint Games. There was also something called Project Athia and surely it would become successful down the line.However, the main attraction was the consoles reveal. The response wasinteresting. Many likened it to an oversized router, pondering how different it looked from previous console designs while lamenting how difficult it would be to clean dust. Others were intrigued by the all-digital model without a disc drive. Though Sony didnt reveal price points, there was still anticipation and hype.That would further build in September when the company showcased several other big-name games, including Final Fantasy 16 (confirmed as a timed exclusive for the console), Deathloop, Resident Evil Village, and the long-awaited sequel to 2018s reboot. We even got a release date and prices for both versions of the PS5 November 12th, with the base version costing $499.99 and the digital version retailing for $399.99.Nothing too unexpected, but what followed after was sheer pandemonium as pre-orders were announced to have gone live. Occurring earlier than many retailers expected, it led to them suddenly opening up across the world, resulting in a massive rush (and ensuing failures given the same). It was even more hilarious because Sony previously announced a pre-registration program for pre-orders while promising it wouldnt happen within a minutes notice. Sony would apologize for the mess, releasing more consoles for pre-order and promising even more through the end of the year.Despite this mess, there was no doubt that the PS5 would become a massive success. Its hardware proved a sizable leap over the PS4, backed by a custom AMD Zen 2 CPU, an RDNA-based GPU, and 16 GB GDDR6 RAM. An extra 512 MB DDR4 RAM was implemented as a controller cache for the brand-spanking new SSD, which promised lightning-fast load times. The only downside of the latter is that it was only 825 GB, with 667 GB usable for installing games and other media. Nevertheless, alongside the Xbox Series X, it would become a rallying point for 4K and 60 FPS and ray tracing for console games.The era of premium gaming was finally upon usthough some titles would eventually have to opt for separate Quality and Performance modes to emphasize native 4K resolution or smooth performance. Then there was the DualSense, which offered brand-new features like adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and a built-in microphone. It promised never-before-seen immersion for titles that supported it, and annoying drift issues aside it succeeded.The PS4 was coming off a very successful run, crossing 106 million units sold as of December 2019. While Sony aggressively pushed for the PS5 to sell even more within the same period, the pandemic would result in chip shortages worldwide. Stock was thus limited but the PS5 still managed to ship 4.5 million units in the fiscal quarter ending December 31st, 2020. That success would only continue into the new year, as it sold ten million consoles by July 18th, 2021, becoming the fastest-selling console to date.While the initial range of launch exclusives wasnt too crazy, especially with titles like Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales available on the PS4, the Demons Souls remake was already hailed as a Game of the Year contender. Astros Playroom was also a great free addition, showcasing the power of the PS5 and DualSense while offering a fun platforming experience. Sony saw some backlash from making Marvels Spider-Man Remastered exclusive to the PS5 as a bonus for those who purchased Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition.The rate of releases picked up after the launch of Destruction AllStars in February 2021 (though sadly it didnt garner much enthusiasm, even when offered for free on PlayStation Plus). Remastered versions of Nioh 1 and 2 would arrive in February 2021, followed by Returnal in April. The latter received critical acclaim for its story-telling, gameplay and the usage of the PS5s hardware for seamless load times.Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade was next, adding new content like the INTERmission DLC focusing on Yuffie and multiple improvements to environmental textures that stuck out on PS4. If that wasnt enough, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also debuted in June, serving up an incredible 3D platforming adventure.Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut marked another fumble for Sonys approach to re-releasing enhanced versions of its PS4 titles, with original owners having to pay for features like DualSense support, full lip sync for Japanese (which the base game was criticized for lacking), dynamic 4K, and more. Regardless, Sonys dominance continued with 13.4 million PS5 consoles shipped as of September 30th, 2021. It would end the year with notable titles like Deathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Death Stranding Directors Cut, and Solar Ash, but the subsequent years were a whos who of big-name titles and exclusives.Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, GhostWire: Tokyo (which was a one-year console exclusive along with Deathloop), andRagnarok all defined 2022. Several of them would become major successes Ragnarok sold 5.1 million copies in its launch week. Forbidden West was revealed to have sold over 8.4 million copies as of April 2023. Even titles like The Last of Us Part 1, which many saw as unnecessary given that a remastered version was already available, did well for itself and benefitted from the HBO TV series debuting in January 2023.The year also marked a major shift in PlayStation Plus, with Sony revamping the service into three tiers Essential, Extra and Premium. As an answer of sorts to Game Pass, Extra and Premium subscribers would gain access to the Game Catalog, consisting of hundreds of titles to play with more added each month. Premium subscribers could even stream classic PS One, PS2, PS3 and PlayStation Portable titles, with options like up-rendering, quick save, video filters, and quick save for certain titles. Though it was far from competing with Game Pass due to the lack of day one first-party titles, it still evolved as a worthwhile option.2023 offered some of the biggest PS5 titles to date but started on an awkward note with the failure of Luminous Productions Forspoken. Things would improve with Final Fantasy 16 in June, and Baldurs Gate 3 in September, with the Xbox version of the latter delayed due to issues with local split-screen on the Series S. Marvels Spider-Man 2 debuted in October 2023 and subsequently smashed previous records for first-party titles, selling 2.5 million in its first 24 hours. Ragnarok fans were also catered to with the launch of Valhalla, a free expansion and rogue-lite mode with a new story.The PS5 ended the year with 50 million sales and even saw the introduction of a Slim model with a larger SSD and a Digital Edition that lacked a Blu-ray disc drive (which could be purchased separately). It also saw a bizarre shift in strategy. Known for its single-player focused titles, it announced plans to release 12 live service games by April 2026.Of course, several of those, including Naughty Dogs multiplayer title based on The Last of Us, would be cancelled. Sony still committed to the live service approach by showcasing games like Concord and Fairgame$ in 2024, but with the announcement of no new titles in major franchises before April 2025, there was some worry.However, 2024 still saw a slew of first-party releases, from Rise of the Ronin (which sold well for Koei Tecmo despite not being critically acclaimed) and Helldivers 2 to Astro Bot and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Concord arrived and failed within two weeks, with Sony subsequently shuttering the studio, adding to layoffs announced earlier in the year (including the closure of Sony London).The PS5 was supported by an extraordinary line-up of third-party titles, including Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Black Myth: Wukong and Silent Hill 2 remake. It also benefited from Microsoft shifting strategies for its titles and making games like Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves available for PlayStation.Even in a relatively slower year, the PS5 still stands as a must-own console, especially for first-party exclusives. The PS5 Pro caused more than its share of backlash with the $699.99 price but has emerged post-launch as a decent alternative for even more visual fidelity and performance. Hardware like PlayStation VR2 has underwhelmed, but PlayStation Portal has emerged as a surprising success. Sony revealed that the PS5 Slim would get a price drop for the holidays, retailing at $379.99 until December 24th. However, its since pulled the ad and removed any mention of the deal.The future of the brand is looking pretty bright with Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punchs sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, out next year and marking the beginning of major single-player titles yearly from Sony. Theres also the likes of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach to look forward to, and weve yet to see what developers like Bend Studio have in store. With 65.5 million units shipped worldwide, the PS5 is only just getting started.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

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