PS5 Pro Adds Ray Tracing to Alan Wake 2 in Big Tech Improvement

Cant wait to use the Pro on day 1!

Never got a PS4 Pro, and said I'd not bother with the PS5 Pro either. Everyday I get tempted more and more

Not paying £700 to see a reflection ...its literally just one of them oh wow neat moments ..then move on and forgotten about lol

Just will wait for the ps6

I have literally this second (credits rolling as I type) finished Alan Wake Remastered.

I am so excited to play the special episodes and every bit of Alan Wake 2.

The Pro version is going to be amazing I'm sure.

@get2sammyb any chance you guys at Push could see if you can drum up some information on likely disc drive stock from Sony or anyone else likely to be in the know?

The drive is now rare as hens' teeth and the price is almost double now.

Particularly with Sony's track record on accessories (edge thumb sticks, back button attachemnts) it might be a big issue for people looking at the Pro if these drives aren't going to be restocked.

@Medic_alert Hi Buddy, I can't say for sure this would work but I had the same issue.
On the off chance I just walked in store (Curry's UK) which had no stock online and they said they had a few, might be worth popping in and asking even if it is sold out online, not a penny over retail either (£99.99).

As someone who's played this on a high end PC , I'm pretty impressed with what the Pro is doing with the quality of those RT reflections, it may be 30fps but this is a very demanding game at those settings and it elevates the visuals hugely at times

@StylesT

Why wait for the PS6? So you can see a slightly better reflection over the PS5 Pro?

@Mostik @Medic_alert Argos is another good place to look as well, I got mine from there a week or so ago and they're still showing as in stock (where I live at least)

@carlos82

To be honest if the PS5 Pro can't do minimum 60 fps then it's kind of sad.

They should at the VERY LEAST give us a 40fps option.

Glad i held off NG+ for the Pro.

@GreatAuk Not really, on a 4070ti I wasn't maintaining 60fps in this without frame gen, granted I was using higher RT settings but at a lower resolution so I wouldn't expect the Pro to do 60fps at that fidelity but it's still a huge leap over the capabilities of the base PS5.

I do agree about more devs exploring 40fps options though and perhaps that could have been achieved here

@Mostik good to know. I haven't decided on the Pro as yet but the disc drive thing would absolutely make a difference.

I just figured it might be something for the guys here to look into because Sony can be shocking at restocking accessories.

The wild alternative would be to buy a slim with disc drive and then sell the slim as a digital console which is just madness!

@StylesT you didn't read the performance mode improvements? Same resolution as quality mode on base PS5, but at 60fps and with more effects on top of that.

Pro is killing it, cannot wait!

@get2sammyb thanks, keep us updated if you hear anything.

@GreatAuk There is a 60fps and it runs and looks better then the base PS5 version. There's no way RT was going to appear in a 60fps mode especially with how demanding AW2 is.

Good grief, that reflected image on the right with RT on is absolutely abysmal. Watch Dogs Legion has better looking glass reflection RT on a Series S.

Quick question re PS5 pro.
I quite fancy it but am not sure if it's going to be worth it as my TV is an LG OLED C4 55 inch.
Sadly it only has HDMI 2.0 so can't do VRR 120fps for example.
My sofa is 3 meters from the (55 inch) screen?

Will I see any differences or will it be really the same realistically as usual performance mode (for those games that don't chug)?

@Futureshark There's no way the C4 only has 2.0 if my C1 has 2.1
You must be mistaken.

@Futureshark yep and you'll definitely notice the improvements at 60fps and C4 can use VRR so anything unlocked you'll benefit even more.

@Shigurui It's very strange that the puddles have better reflections than the mirrors.

I would have understood if The Dark Place mirrors were all weird - gives it a more dream-like quality.

But even in the "real world" the mirrors don't provide an accurate reflection. I have no idea why Remedy chose that.

@Futureshark This is a super hard question to answer because to some extent it differs person to person.

For most games the performance mode provides what I would call a softer image - so a bit less defined in edges giving a bit of a blur. With the Pro the general result appears to be a result that at least matches quality so you can play at 60fps with all the quality do-dads that pushes the base machine down to 30fps.

However devs are implementing their own modes so we will see what they come up with.

Ray tracing is the other element that is being mentioned and some of this is a preference thing too. RT makes lighting more realistic - great for immersion but it doesn't always make a game look better. Sometimes that more realistic lighting can not quite hit the same notes as an artist making the light go where they want it. That said, things like GT7 and F1 24 look amazing if that's your jam.

The biggest impact will be on games that run badly on PS5 and the raw grunt of the Pro will fix many of the ills. AW 2, FF VII rebirth, Dragon's Dogma 2 and Starwars Outlaws are likely to show bigger benefits than say Ratchet and Clank.

Sorry for the long post - quick answer, it depends

@Futureshark Your tv definitely supports 2.1. You'll see the enhancements if you get a pro.

@Futureshark That's wrong, because my CX has hdmi 2.1 and it does do 120.

So much for PS5 pro putting an end to having to choose between quality and performance

I only play games at 60fps, any game at 30fps does not get purchased as simple as that.
The Pro for depends only on the 60fps modes improvements as 30fps sucks on any console PS5 Or Series X.

I’m still not totally convinced I will see much improvement at 60fps, it’s still lower than 4K and upscaled like games already are nowadays with DLSS and more so FSR used on PS5 and Series X.

It’s really down to the extra power being used for more level of detail and stuff etc and really how much better it actually is.

Going to play the Lake House on the Pro cant wait!

Well there you have it the quality mode with RT did look really good.
The big but it’s only at 30fps, what’s the point of a £700 cost of a machine that can’t do the 60fps improvements with RT, which is the biggest looking improvement.

So this “ray tracing” shtick everyone raves about adds reflections to mirrors? Pretty sure games could do that before…Either way I am looking forward to this game. And I’d gladly play in Quality mode at 30FPS. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy at 60 honestly just did not look good to me, like the movements were just exaggerated and way too fast. I really don’t see how people enjoy it? Not knocking what you like, it’s just not for me.

@GreatAuk Because all the games on the pro will be available on the base ps5...so all I'm missing out on is what? Upgrades I will only really notice if I pause the game and get side by side images ?

While the ps6 will have games that the ps5 won't ...plus improved version of all the games that get a pro upgrade no doubt... if that's your cup of tea

Makes zero sense to pay £700 when I've already got the base ps5

Is anyone else getting a bit bored of the overly reductive comments made by people trying to put the Pro down?

I genuinely can't tell whether it is a lack of understanding or a deliberate attempt to put something down they don't like or can't have or possibly a bit of both.

If you have genuine criticisms that's cool but the snark on every Pro article is getting pretty old.

@StylesT I would just wait for the Ps6 Pro.. just kidding. Its all about choices

Whatever the Pro did on whatever game, you'd have people saying there's no difference, not good enough etc etc.

'Twas ever this with new hardware, financial budgets and human psychology.

@Medic_alert "a deliberate attempt to put something down they don't like or can't have"

It's a shame, but I'd plump for that option.

@Medic_alert Welcome to the internet! Where everyone bitches about what they despise! Which is EVERYTHING. I have plenty of things I hate or really do not care to see ever. But I keep it to myself. Or will say it’s not for me, and that I’m not knocking opinions.

@Futureshark even the B4 Oled has 4 hdmi 2.1 ports. You probably need to enable it on your ps5 but then again it should automatically be turned on

If you choose to stick with the PS5, you are well awarded.

If you choose to purchase the Pro, you are also awarded.

You literally can't lose with this.

Zero interest in the Ray tracing unless its 60fps (eg like insomniac can acheive on base PS5), but the improvements for the Performance mode sound good - will check them out on my TV later as you just cant get a proper idea using a phone!

@StylesT Might as well just wait for the PS7.

I'm happy with this. I never thought it would be ray tracing and 60fps. I'll still stick to the performance but I'll have a look at the quality. Next let's hear about Black Myth and Space Marine. Still waiting to buy these but going to wait

@get2sammyb

I really appreciate the lists of Pro enhanced games you guys are putting out.
Hopefully the on console market place will add an additional list/section for Pro Enhanced like they do for VR (in addition to the product page label).

DF mentioned in one of their recent videos that they thought Sony had mandated Pro enhanced (performance) modes on all games going forwards (though i dont think they were talking indies) - have you guys heard similar? (My apologies if you have already said this, i do read all your Pro articles).

It’s a sad day when consoles become a PC. I loved PC gaming and still do but let consoles be consoles! If you want all bells and whistles buy a PC

@Teldoestofu
A proper, decent image quality, 60fps mode, without such agressive frame gen is all thats holding me back on BMW - once they add this, they can have my money straight away!

@Medic_alert The Disc Drives on the US PS direct website have been available in stock for quite some time

@charbtronic I'm in the UK but hopefully that is a good sign.

@carlos82 It sure was demanding. I had to settle for mid range settings with my 3070 on a 1440p monitor but it still looked amazing for the most part. I can run Robocop on max settings however so you just never know with PC gaming. Unless you have a high end rig of course!

@Nexozi @babybilly @Medic_alert @GamerGuy1970 @Voltan

Thanks for all your responses, however I messed up.
I have an LG C8 55, bought in 2019, which has only hdmi 2.0a.

Don't know why I put C4, dreaming about it I guess....

I didn't know you needed ray tracing to make a guy appear in the mirror.

So with the pro we still have to choose between performance and quality? Wasn't the whole point of the Pro not to choose between those two?

@Futureshark Ah, though black Friday is not too far away...

Welp, I guess it's finally becoming clear. The PS5 Pro... is....... FOR KINGS!!!!!!!!!!

@carlos82

40fps makes a major difference perception wise regarding fluidity so I think every developer should at least have it as an option when possible for those who have the proper screen to take advantage of it.

I think some developers are just lazy and only do a 30 or 60 fps option.

@Futureshark I don't quite understand, why do you think you have to have HDMI 2.1 to benefit from having a pro?

@Futureshark
As someone else replied, you will certainly get the visual fidelity benedits Pro will offer for the 60fps modes. It just depends on how well you can see this on your TV.

My (friendly / unprofessional) advice based on what we have seen and been told so far, would be to check out a few games fidelity/graphics modes and see if you can see a marked difference in the visual quality (ignoring framerate) - ie would this approx fidelity mode image quality be worth it to you once it was running at the performance mode framerate.
Though its not certain for all games, hopefully this should be achievable - I think due to the use of PSSR it could even be exceeded in some cases - I would keep an eye on DF videos as they will go into this on a game by game basis.

Games that run at significantly above 60fps (requiring 120hz VRR) for a significant portion of their run time are not massively common outside of Sony 1st party.
I can only talk from my own tastes which are mostly 3rd person action / adventure titles but there do not seem to be many 3rd party titles like Hogwarts Legacy (which now runs significantly above 60fps for good stretches).
A lot of Sony 1st party titles including insomniac titles, GOWR etc (but not Astro bot or Demon souls), do allow for uncapping their performance modes for 120hz VRR, and some of these manage 80 - 90fps regularly.

Will Pro lead to more uncapped titles - maybe - from rumoured specs (nothing confirmed yet - which I could rant about for a good paragraph or 3 lol), the CPU is 10% faster which could make uncapping more worthwhile (if a game runs at 60fps currently there will already be overhead a lot of the time and a 10% increase may be enough to make uncapping now worthwhile), but will more likely just allow games that struggle on the CPU side reach 60fps better.

On the GPU side we have a much larger increase, and any game with a Pro enhanced mode, that are bottlenecked due to GPU on base PS5 could theoretically run with a much higher framerate (providing an uncap option is given). However, what is more likely (as per Mark Cerny and what we have seen so far) is that they will use this extra GPU to allow struggling games to acheive 60fps, and improve image quality with the aim in targetting Fidelity/graphics mode levels of quality, running at performance mode framerates.

All i noticed on control at least, is, the rt on is unplayable on ps5.
Only good for taking screenshots.
Useless gimmick.

Ray tracing at 30fps, or run the game properly at 60 without? For $700. This is getting sad. We're entering "even a $300 4060 can do this" territory.

@LavenderShroud Ray tracing is more than reflections, but a lot of devs like to showcase that because that's basically what the market understands.

Basically conventional games light the world with "prelit" scenes, where it kind of fakes the lighting by applying light effect to the world where it should be lit, or where it dramatically looks good lighting it. In some ways more like a movie where everything is lit by point lights shining exactly where you want light even if it's not how a scene would naturally be lit in the real world.

Ray tracing is just a simulation of real light. You stick a lamp on a table, with a certain output intensity of a certain color temperature, and just let it shine on everything, and it shines as light really would, creates shadows as light really would, and reflects off reflective surfaces as light really would. It's a very complex physics simulation of real world photon movement to various degrees of accuracy.

The thing is, though, artificially lighting a scene can look fantastic, you don't always need a real world lighting simulation, you just need the scene to look good. So for the player, there's not often a necessarily huge perceptual benefit to RT. It can look "better" side by side. Mostly it looks "different" side by side, but you don't necessarily feel it's substantially better or worse assuming the "fake" lighting is applied well. Technically in the future it can make development faster by just plopping lights where they really should be and let the simulation do the rest rather than manually lighting everything. But the hardware performance cost is so great, we're a long way from that being the ONLY way they light a scene.

As for 60fps, and above, the point is to get closer to how reality moves. The human eye should be able to see well over 200fps, so that's how you see real life objects move. Everything else is varying forms of watching a rotoscope. BUT some people don't seem to be able to see a difference. You saw the difference, starkly and didn't like it. That's actually the first case of that I've heard. Usually the smoother the motion the more realistic the motion is. Not sure why your perception is to dislike it, that's actually the first time I've heard someone actively prefer slower fps. Many people say they can't tell the difference (I.E. it may be they see all of real life at 30-ish fps, much below the average person), But you don't, you did see a difference.

30 fps ha ha ha

@torquex Someone can't read or, even worse, comprehend! [ignored]

Definitely time to start adding to ignore all the idiots trying to troll or hate on people who are buying a piece of gaming hardware that they can't affor...don't want. At least it's a good way of finding out who the sensible ones are on here.

@GamerGuy1970 It’s a common theme. Everyone acted like you would have to be stupid to want the portal but I use mine three times a week at least.

Edit: I guess it’s also possible I am stupid.

@NEStalgia Ah. I think I understand it now. That’s actually kinda cool. I honestly had zero idea what it was until you explained, thanks a lot!

And as for the FPS, I was playing the game with my brother. He is highly autistic, so to him it looked weird, when he pointed it out I did notice how much quicker things tended to move. And it was only like two minutes in. But to him it was a bit nerve wracking. I don’t play games a whole lot, and mostly play Switch in handheld mode or even mobile games, so that may be why it was different for me.

@NEStalgia come on mate you are better than that.

The 4070 with RT on at 1440p has been benched at 32fps in Alan Wake 2. The 4060 isn't even tested in the benches I have seen.

It takes a serious GPU to play this game and hitting a hopefully solid 30fps with rtx and a high resolution would be an achievement.

Source - https://hardwaretimes.com/alan-wake-2-pc-performance-optimization/

@Medic_alert try HMV I got mine from there a couple of weeks back for RRP 👍