All I needed was an excuse to rummage through my library to finish or start some genuine bangers.
Ever since it was announced, the PlayStation 5 Pro has asked the question: Is its $699 price tag worth it compared to the other base models?
The answer to that question is entirely up to you, but personally, it’s awoken the dormant relaxed gamer within me and re-opened doors to games I left closed a long time ago. I’m thankful that I now have a PS5 Pro, not only just for the future of new games that will utilize its hardware, but for everything I either missed out on or began and never got to finish for a variety of reasons.
As a gaming industry writer, I’m often not given much choice or freedom in what I’m playing at any given time. It’s often what’s current, what’s popular, or working on a review for a title that is yet to come out. Sometimes that means leaving behind games that I want to play, if only because there is just 24 hours to each day and I must use the time I have wisely. Splitting that time between work, family obligations, my girlfriend, and a variety of other needs, it doesn’t leave much time for true, sit-back-and-relax gaming.
Because of this, I’ve left all sorts of games unfinished, or even un-started. Games like God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West, and Demon’s Souls have been left in the dust while I tend to guides or timely news. And games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Stellar Blade have been left untouched.
My backlog is… gigantic. The games above, coupled with other games I have on other platforms such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Helldivers 2, Neva, Cyberpunk 2077, the Star Wars Jedi games, Ghostrunner 2, and countless others, weigh on me each day. I’m missing out on some great stuff, and I know it.
But with the PS5 Pro, it’s been that little nudge I needed to make some time at the end of every day in between clocking out for work and getting in bed to use that few hours wisely: Clearing out my backlog.
Starting with God of War Ragnarök, I dived into the backlog once my PS5 Pro arrived. It’s just stunning on my 43″ bedroom TV, as opposed to my 24″ gaming monitor I use my launch PS5 on for work. It’s difficult to describe how much better PS5 Pro-enhanced games look, and Ragnarök is one of the prettiest yet.
But that’s not to take away from Demon’s Souls at all. It’s hard to believe that this game came out almost five years ago as a launch title for the PS5. It’s just gorgeous, or disgusting, or terrifying, depending on the locales within. I can say the same for Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village, both of which are eerily realistic and disconcerting on a big screen with such fluid animations and frame rate.
I’ve been dabbling in all of these games (mostly Ragnarök) while also dipping in to some Black Ops 6 Zombies. CoD has never felt smoother for me than on the PS5 Pro, and that’s coming from someone who’s played CoD on console for almost 20 years. It feels like a game-changer to me, in the best way possible.
As my backlog gets whittled down, I’m excited for the future of PS5 Pro games, including 2025 titles such as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or Hell is Us. I’ve been looking forward to these games for a while, but now I know I’ll be getting them on PS5 Pro.
Even games like Assassin’s Creed: Shadows that I may not have originally been interested in, I’m thinking hard about purchasing because of the Pro’s capabilities. And then there’s other existing games in the PS Plus Game Catalog, like Dead Island 2, that I will now be looking to jump into.
Whether or not the extra money for the PS5 Pro is worth it to you will always be up to you. But if you’re like me, with too many games and not enough time to play them, I think it’s a perfect addition to the household as a little treat. The proof will be in the picture on your screens.
My conundrum now is that as my backlog empties, it also fills thanks to upcoming games I’m now interested in because of the PS5 Pro. But at least now, with an hour or two a night, that backlog has a chance at finally getting smaller.
Disclaimer: A PS5 Pro console was provided by Sony for review.
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Published: Mar 10, 2025 05:59 pm