3 essential PS5 Pro games you need to play – the sequel
Here are three more games you simply have to play on your PS5 Pro
Since getting a PS5 Pro, I’ve been making an effort to revisit every game in my PS5 library to see how the extra power of the Pro improves its performance. And while it’s true that these enhancements are sometimes pretty negligible, we’re starting to see the benefits of Sony’s mid-generation console now.
Just this week, Sony rolled out a new version of its PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling tool, which I’ll definitely be checking out in every supported game.
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Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem looks and plays brilliantly wherever you opt to experience it, but it’s a real showpiece title for the PS5 Pro.
As the first beneficiary of the newly upgraded PSSR mentioned in the introduction, Requiem delivers a near rock solid 60fps with stunning ray tracing features as its default mode. In many PS5 games, even on the Pro, RT reflections can be achieved by making performance sacrifices elsewhere, but not here, thanks to PSSR 2.0.
The opening of the game, with its dimly lit streets and torrential rain, is the perfect demonstration of how good this technology can be when utilised well, and the ninth mainline Resi only gets more visually impressive from there.
From the lighting and the environments, to the characters’ hair (not that you should be allowing yourself too much time to admire that with zombies trying to munch your face off), it all looks fantastic. And while there is also a 120Hz mode that disables ray tracing for those with a compatible TV, I strongly advise sticking with the out-of-the-box 60fps mode to see the PS5 Pro at its best.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
When you get a PS5 Pro, the temptation is to load up the most hyper-realistic-looking games in your library to see how convincingly they’re rendered on the more powerful PS5. And that’s worth doing, sure. But, one of the best-looking games you can play on the system is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
As one of the most visually stunning games on the base PS5, this is hardly a surprise; Rift Apart is incredibly well animated, stupidly colourful (play it on an OLED TV if you can), and has a Pixar-like attention to detail.
All of that is true on the standard PS5 too, but on the Pro you don’t have to choose between 60fps and ray-traced lighting, thanks to PSSR upscaling wizardry that is also able to output at 4K fidelity.
If you ask me, texture details matter more in a game in which the main characters have large furry ears, and as a game with many very busy environments, the extra bit of visual clarity the PS5 Pro Enhanced mode offers makes a noticeable difference.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a looker wherever you play it, but it’s well worth revisiting if you’ve upgraded to the PS5 Pro.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
As one of the flagship PS5 games, it was no surprise to see The Last of Us Part II Remastered named as one of the Pro’s enhanced launch window games, and what you get is a classic have-your-cake-and-eat-it scenario.
Given that The Last of Us Part II Remastered was already a graphically souped-up reskin of the PS4 original, it’s not immediately obvious that the Pro version is a further step up. But what you’re basically getting is the 1440p resolution of the PS5’s 60fps performance mode upscaled to 4K using PSSR.
Performance remains the same, then, but play on an adequately sized TV and you’ll notice the sharper details, from horse hair, to foliage and the most subtle of facial details.
In a lot of games you might scoff at these minor enhancements being advertised as a reason to buy a more expensive console, but when you’re playing something as technologically ambitious as a Naughty Dog game, it’s nice to know that you’re getting the most impressive version.
I would never sacrifice frames for resolution in a game like The Last of Us Part II Remastered, but the PS5 Pro means I don’t have that nagging feeling about whether performance mode is noticeably softer than the native 4K of fidelity mode as I’m exploring the dangerous streets of post-apocalyptic Seattle.
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