While the PS5 Pro demonstrates impressive capabilities with many titles, the core issue lies not with the console itself but with developers struggling to optimize their games for it. Reports of certain games performing worse on the Pro model often point to challenges with PSSR implementation, suggesting that studios may not yet be fully prepared to leverage the specific technology of the PS5 Pro. This raises concerns about readiness for future generations, such as the PS6, especially as performance issues are not isolated to the Pro but affect numerous current releases.
Looking ahead, it seems increasingly plausible that PlayStation may extend the timeline for the next console generation, potentially pushing a PS6 launch to around 2028–2030. This would allow developers more time to adapt and improve optimization practices. Additionally, the continued support for the PS4 is holding back progress, as many games are still being released for the older hardware. To achieve better performance on the PS5 Pro and create higher-quality games, developers should shift their focus exclusively to current-generation platforms, prioritizing the present over the past.
It’s frustrating to hear that the PS5 Pro’s potential is being held back by optimization issues, especially the struggles with PSSR implementation. This reminds me of trying to play a recent cross-gen title that felt barely enhanced on my base PS5, likely because it was still built for the PS4. If developers need until 2028 to truly master this hardware, maybe that delay for a PS6 is necessary, but it’s disappointing as a player wanting to see these consoles pushed to their limits. Do you think Sony should be more hands-on in helping studios with these tools?
I completely understand your frustration, especially when a cross-gen title feels like it’s not fully utilizing your base PS5, let alone the Pro’s capabilities. Based on the challenges with PSSR, it does seem Sony could benefit from providing more direct, hands-on support to studios to streamline optimization, as the hardware’s potential is clearly there. It might be worth keeping an eye on official PlayStation developer blogs for any announced toolkits or support programs, and I’d be curious to hear if you notice improvements in future game patches.
It’s frustrating to hear that the PS5 Pro’s issues often stem from developer optimization, especially the challenges with PSSR. I’ve noticed this myself with a recent release that felt less smooth on my Pro than expected, which really highlights the summary’s point about studios not being fully prepared for its specific tech. This makes me wonder if I should hold off on upgrading for certain titles until patches arrive—has anyone else had a similar experience with a particular game?
I totally get your frustration, especially when a new release feels less smooth on the Pro—it’s a concrete example of that PSSR optimization hurdle. Based on the trend, holding off on playing certain new titles for a week or two to see if a performance patch drops is a very practical strategy many are adopting. Have you found checking the game’s official social channels or subreddit for patch notes helpful? Let us know if that particular game gets an update.
That’s accurate. Compare a few different games to see what’s possible.
Take the latest major release, BO7—like previous titles, it performs poorly on the PRO. The standard mode fails to deliver smooth frame pacing and animations. It’s shocking how bad it looks given the small maps and overall quality. “PRO Enhanced” is a joke.
It’s a bit of both. PSSR has some visual issues and can be heavy to run, possibly due to hardware limitations, so you might not get as much of an FPS boost as you’d like.
That said, I’m not writing off the PS5 Pro just yet. Sony has promised PSSR2 for next year, so it’s worth waiting to see how much it improves. AI upscalers need a lot of data to get better, and PSSR is still very new.
As consoles become more powerful, developers grow lazier and companies greedier. That’s why we see so many unoptimized Unreal Engine 5 games. Instead of using the console’s power to create better games, they use it to save money by skipping optimization and creativity.
What do you mean by “a lot of games”? I can only count four or five that have issues on the Pro, and the problem is mainly with PSSR implementation. More than half of those have already been fixed. I believe Silent Hill F is the only one currently affected.
I was about to mention the same thing—I initially thought it was just Silent Hill F and Silent Hill 2.
I believe many games already in development were delayed by a year or so due to Covid-related holds. Consider how many more games have been released this year compared to the previous two years. If those games had come out a year earlier, they would likely have received Pro enhancements by now. This is just a theory.
It’s surprising that there’s a list of games performing worse on the Pro than the base model, not just one. Hopefully, this doesn’t grow and developers can better adapt to the technology.
Games should not run worse on the Pro model. This is inexcusable.
I understand your point, and Sony should indeed push developers to optimize their games better. It seems like anyone can use the “Pro Enhanced” label with minimal effort.
It seems they aren’t taking the Pro seriously. The whole point of the Pro is to eliminate the choice between graphics and performance, allowing us to have both. I believe several factors are holding developers back. If a studio like Sandfall Interactive can create a well-optimized, beautiful game like Clair Obscur on a lower budget, why can’t other multi-million dollar developers do the same?
This isn’t actually how it works. Engineers understand that there’s always a trade-off between performance and high-quality graphics—you generally can’t have both. AI has made progress, but achieving the best of both worlds in 4K at 60+ fps with full ray tracing and top-tier graphics isn’t realistic yet.
With current technology, the best you can expect is 60 fps at whatever resolution the system can render, which sometimes drops as low as 360p before upscaling. Optimization plays a role, but even well-optimized games typically render between 720p and 1080p. If you’re satisfied with how games run on the base PS5, the Pro version doesn’t increase the native resolution—it still doesn’t reach 1440p. However, it can render at a higher internal resolution when possible, such as 720p instead of 360p, and applies better upscaling.
The overall improvement is only about 20%, so expecting major leaps isn’t reasonable. That boost brings performance closer to a 4070 equivalent, but since consoles are more optimized than PCs, it’s more like a highly optimized 3060 performing at 4070 levels. Performance may improve over time with updates to PSSR.
You can have both, as many games run at 60 fps and still look great. The issue arises when developers push ray tracing or high-fidelity settings beyond the system’s capabilities. Just because a game isn’t on max settings doesn’t mean it doesn’t look impressive.
Sony games and some newer titles include unlocked frame rate options, which provide an immediate FPS boost. I hope future consoles will offer this feature across all games, allowing us to enjoy higher frame rates in quality modes without waiting for updates tailored to new hardware.
Developers often lack the time to make changes post-launch. FSR4 is another significant issue for AMD, as many games that could benefit from it—including those from AMD partners—don’t receive the update. Many games have custom development interfaces, making post-release modifications labor-intensive. The PS5 Pro is in a difficult position, as most developers will likely rely on variable or higher resolutions, which may not provide meaningful improvements. They need time to optimize features that leverage the GPU without overloading the CPU. It’s important to remember that ray tracing is CPU-intensive, and since the CPU isn’t being upgraded, simply enhancing graphics could lead to performance issues.
The main issue is that PSSR is currently incompatible with Unreal Engine 5, as it conflicts with Lumen lighting and causes flickering and other visual problems. Even Microsoft, which has generally handled Pro enhancements well, encountered issues with Overwatch 2’s Pro version, resulting in a worse experience than the base console—similar to what happened with some Konami games. Microsoft removed PSSR, acknowledging it’s broken with UE5, and reverted to TSR. Now the PS5 Pro version is the best among PlayStation 5 versions, though the Series X runs more smoothly, partly because the game was originally optimized for Xbox and PC before being ported to PS5 earlier this year.
So far, all Pro games that perform worse on the Pro than the base console are built on UE5. Only one developer, Game Science with *Black Myth: Wukong*, has successfully implemented PSSR in a UE5 game. While *Wukong* has performance issues, its PSSR implementation is excellent, showing it’s possible but requires significant effort that many developers aren’t willing to invest.
It’s unclear why developers continue to attempt using PSSR in UE5 games when this issue is likely well-known in development circles. There are alternative enhancements available for Pro games, and it’s in Sony’s best interest to resolve this promptly. UE5 is the most widely used engine, and having compatibility problems with PSSR is a significant concern. Sony’s decision to delay a fix until next year is frustrating and suggests a lack of urgency in supporting the Pro, which doesn’t bode well for its long-term success this generation.
I’m currently playing the Resident Evil 4 Remake on the Pro, and the overall polish and visuals are underwhelming. With more time dedicated to the Pro enhancement, it could have been significantly better.
If a game is CPU-intensive, the PS5 Pro won’t significantly improve performance over the base model. The hardware upgrade is minimal, and Sony could have enhanced it more to address this bottleneck. However, I don’t agree that many games are poorly optimized. Some, particularly those using UE5 due to engine issues, may struggle, but overall, the games I’ve played this generation perform well. Designing visuals with ray tracing disabled helps, as console hardware isn’t particularly strong in that area.
When you mention performance, are you referring to brief technical analysis or actual gameplay experience?
In my case, I’ve played two of the games often cited as problematic—MGS Delta and Silent Hill f—and both looked and ran excellently on my OLED display.
I’ve been impressed with PSSR and seeing titles like AC Shadows receive fixes and improvements during gameplay. That’s exactly why I chose to purchase a Pro.
A similar situation occurred with the PS3. It had powerful hardware, but developers found it challenging to work with while also developing for Xbox and sometimes PC. However, when games were designed specifically for the PS3, we got titles like Uncharted, The Last of Us, and God of War 3.
Sony should have advised developers to switch to FSR if their game’s PSSR performance is below average. For example, Silent Hill F could have improved its visuals by increasing the internal resolution and using TSR instead, which would likely reduce flickering and deliver better results.
Which games have issues with the PS4 Pro? I’m about to buy one for Black Friday, mainly for titles like Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, The Last of Us series, God of War, Uncharted, and other PlayStation exclusives.
PlayStation exclusives make the best use of the Pro’s capabilities.
The PS5 Pro’s optimization is limited because developers prioritize the base PS5, which has a larger user base. They rely on the Pro’s enhanced hardware for performance gains rather than creating specific optimizations, similar to how many AAA games are handled on PC.
We don’t know how many PS5 Pro consoles have been sold. If the ratio between the PS5 and PS5 Pro is greater than 10:1, that would mean the PS5 Pro has sold less than the Xbox Series S. Have you noticed how poorly optimized some games are on the Series S? With game budgets as high as they are, developers need to prioritize optimization for the most widely sold consoles.
The PS5 has similar hardware to the Series X, which is what developers are targeting. After that, they make upgrades for the PS5 Pro and downgrades for the Series S (and sometimes the Switch 2). The key point is that this happens afterward.
The PS6 won’t face the same issue as the PS5 Pro because developers will shift their focus to targeting that console.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with Sony to address their console’s issues. If they allow developers to continue with poor optimizations, it will likely hurt sales of the PS6 Pro when it eventually releases.
I understand your point, but do you really think 2027 is too soon for the PS6, considering the current state of gaming?
2027 is a reasonable timeline. Games will continue to be developed for the large PS5 user base for a few years after the PS6 launches. Developers will begin optimizing for the PS6 once it has a substantial installed base, eventually shifting entirely to the new platform. The PS5 Pro, priced at $749 for a modest upgrade, was always expected to have a smaller audience. In contrast, the PS6 will be designed and priced to sell widely, like the PS5, making it essential for developers to prioritize optimization—even as they ensure games remain compatible with the PS5.
It’s probably too soon for that; 2028 seems more likely.
I can get on board with a 2028 release. Looking at games like Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Yotei, which are graphically incredible, I wonder how they’ll make games look even better. I’m not saying they won’t, but it’s impressive.
PlayStation exclusives are an exception because their studios code directly to the hardware, maximizing performance. Third-party developers don’t do this, so those games have a much higher performance ceiling.
I’m more optimistic about the future now, since the PS5 and Xbox Series X only have 16GB of RAM, which is modest compared to PCs. The additional 8GB or so expected in the PS6 and next Xbox will make a significant difference by reducing the need for heavy optimization.
With optimization less of a challenge, developers will have more room to focus on adding features.
The Series S is also holding back developers. If they could focus solely on the PS5, PS5 Pro, and Series X, their games would have better optimization. I’m only referring to consoles, as PC is a different matter.
The PS4 was the biggest limitation for developers this generation. Due to its large install base, studios had to create versions for the PS4, which has a CPU roughly four times slower than the Series S and uses a very slow HDD.
That’s a significant issue. Many gamers are still on PS4 because, as they point out, most games are still being released for it, so they don’t see a reason to upgrade. I don’t blame them—they’re people who prioritize gameplay over graphics or frame rate. However, we’re now in the fifth year of the PS5 and the first year of the Pro model. It’s time to move on from the PS4. It was a fantastic console, and I enjoyed it for seven years, but that era is over. It’s last-generation hardware, and we should focus on next-gen advancements. Before we know it, we’ll be in 2026.
Many developers have moved on from the PS4 by now, likely all for 2026 releases. For instance, BF6 is a major AAA title that developers stated wouldn’t have been feasible on the PS4, allowing them to focus on newer platforms. However, some games can still be designed for both generations, depending on the developers’ priorities and budget.
The Series S has significantly outsold the Series X. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much optimization on the Xbox side. It seems they are essentially running the PS5 versions, possibly with slightly higher resolution.
You’re looking at outdated data. The report about the Series S outselling the Series X is from 2023. More recent reports indicate sales are now split 50:50 between the Series S and Series X. Additionally, the Series X typically uses higher resolutions than the PS5. You’re incorrect on multiple points.
Even if we cut the numbers in half, there still aren’t enough Xbox Series X consoles to justify special optimization. The install base is roughly 70 million PS5s compared to 15 million Series X consoles. First-party Xbox games perform similarly on PS5, so your expectations seem unrealistic.
Based on a 4:1 sales ratio between the PS5 and PS5 Pro, the installed base is likely well over 10:1 due to the PS5’s multi-year head start. You’re correct that developers may not prioritize optimizing for the PS5 Pro, given its smaller user base at this stage.
The PS5 Pro was likely designed with FSR4 in mind. Hopefully, this will help developers optimize their games more quickly.
Currently, only Silent Hill 2 performs worse on the Pro than on the base model. The shimmering issues in Silent Hill F are mainly limited to the first 15 minutes, particularly with the grass in the initial area. After that, the image quality is significantly better than the base PS5 version, especially during motion.
On the bright side, more developers are learning from the Pro, which should benefit future games. I’m very happy with the Pro myself—I haven’t had any major issues in the games I’ve played, and I’ve gained many great benefits.
When you put it that way, it makes sense. The PS5 Pro seems like a test for the PS6, so we PS5 Pro owners are essentially beta testing the next console.
We are currently testing an FSR4 version of PSSR, set to begin early next year. This will likely provide Sony, AMD, and developers with valuable data in preparation for the PS6.
This is exactly why I believe this generation should be extended by at least four more years. We’ve barely tapped into the potential of the base PS5, not to mention the PS5 Pro.
It’s not surprising that a mid-generation game with only a fraction of the PS5’s player base isn’t well optimized.
What does this mean? The PS4 is holding back game development, but it’s not the fault of PlayStation gamers since many games are still being released for the PS4.
You’re on the right track, but the issue is that some developers take the lazy approach by simply enabling PSSR to check the “PS5 Pro” box without optimizing game performance. If they spent more time fine-tuning PSSR, the results would be significantly better.
That said, this doesn’t fully address the notorious shimmer effect in Unreal Engine 5 when using PSSR, which is more of a game engine problem. It’s especially noticeable in games rendered at sub-HD native resolutions, where the inherent noise from the low base resolution is amplified by upscaling.
Sony needs to convince or require developers who publish on the PS Store to optimize their games for the Pro as well. For example, Konami consistently gets away with poor Pro enhancements, which is ultimately Sony’s fault for allowing this behavior across their games. Sony should stop publishing their titles until they optimize for both PS5 models—that would quickly get their attention.
Sony should absolutely do this. We paid a premium for high-quality hardware, and we expect new games to make full use of it. Personally, I won’t play games that don’t run well on the PS5 Pro, such as Silent Hill f.
Consider building a PC for a more customizable and cost-effective computing experience.
They are not required to optimize games for the Pro model.
I’ve noticed this issue as well. In every game I play, I encounter stuttering, texture loading problems, occasional lag, and visual glitches like disappearing clothes or flapping items during cutscenes. Meanwhile, my girlfriend’s standard PS5 runs the same games without any issues. This happens across all titles—Where Winds Meet, Monster Hunter Wilds, Lost Soul Aside, and even Call of Duty.
This is a failure to optimize.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s the console or not; if something is bad, it’s bad.