Hot Take: PS5 Pro is actually pretty nice

As mentioned in my "Nvidia’s RTX 50 Series Disaster Drove Me to Console" article, I've never owned any console, Xbox or Playstation.

So when I made the transition from PC to PS5 Pro the difference was immediately felt. I was impressed. Here's the pros and cons of the PS5 Pro

The Pros >>

Games

I’ll get to the most important part first. I’ve bought or claim games from the PS Plus subscription- titles such as The Returnal, The last of Us Part I & II, Monster Hunter Wilds, Astro Bot (the free one), feels premium. There was no in-game settings, I just boot up the game, chose performance mode, and I Played.

These games also have a unique integration with the Dual Sense Controller whether it's haptics, trigger pulls, or on controller speaker. These features make games feel extra immersive for me. On PC, controller feedback is usually limited to lighter or stronger vibrations, which often feel more like a distraction than an enhancement.

With the exception of Monster Hunter Wilds, these games are also optimized and polished. I no longer have to deal with Windows 11 bugs, or shitty PC ports.

The UI and Experience

When I boot up the PS5, I get this "ahh that's nice, let's relax and game" feeling. I work in tech, so coming home and not having to role-play IT support is really nice. It's a simple clean and effective way for me to switch my mental modes into one of relaxation and recharge.

Physical Media

To quickly touch on this, I love owning those physical disc cases. They're awesome 👍

The Cons <<

Playstation Plus Subscription

It's crazy that in 2025 we still have to pay a subscription just to play with your friends online. Granted they bundle other crap that you don't need so they can raise the price on the base subscription. Coming from the Steam platform this is not acceptable.

It is "Nice" that I can have access to this big games library whenever I want, but in reality most people only play a few 1-3 games at a time. The extra library of free games should be an optional add-on.

The Lack of Disc Drive

My other main complaint is the lack of built in disc drive. I had to wait out all the scalpers on the internet for a restock, which is a problem I already hate from the PC GPU price crisis, for me to get the "right" t pay 80$ for a the disc drive on top of the already pricy 700$ price tag. At the end of the day, it was almost $900 when I was done—$1,000 if you count the games, subscriptions, etc.

Closing Thoughts

The PS5 Pro isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. The subscription model sucks, and the disc drive thing was annoying, but the overall experience makes up for it. The games feel premium, the controller adds a new level of immersion, and best of all, I don’t have to troubleshoot anything. After years of PC headaches, it’s nice to just boot up and game.