The PlayStation 5 Pro has certainly transformed public perception leading up to its launch. The price point of $699.99 isn’t the most appealing, especially with the vertical stand and Blu-ray disc drive sold separately (and good luck getting the latter thanks to scalpers). However, more and more titles have showcased the tangible benefits that the console provides, whether it’s brute-forcing improved performance on certain titles or utilizing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to deliver 4K at 60 FPS, that too with ray tracing.
What are some of the best PS5 titles you can play while leveraging the console’s benefits and why? Check out our ten top picks here.
No Man’s Sky
Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky was already looking pretty good on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S but it’s a completely different beast on PS5 Pro. Not only does it offer 4K/60 FPS courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, but it also supports 8K at 30 FPS. Regardless of which modes you go for, ambient occlusion, reflections and lighting are much higher quality. And though it’s probably not something that most would go for, given how much work went into the update, seeing all these improvements on PlayStation VR2 is also pretty great.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Many developers leveraged the PS5 in different ways, but Insomniac Games has been a cut above, offering a multitude of options for customizing frame rate, resolution and ray tracing quality in its games. It goes even further in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, introducing Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro modes. While the former delivers 60 frames per second with ray tracing and the same image quality as Fidelity, the latter goes even further with its details.
More traffic and pedestrian density, customizable ray-traced reflections, ambient occlusion, and key light shadows – it showcases the world in a much better light. The freedom to fine tune these options to leverage Variable Refresh Rate displays is also appreciated, making this one of the best PS5 Pro titles in the market.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Of course, it would make sense that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart looks just as stunning. As noted before, Insomniac Games did an incredible job with the PS5 version and bumped the quality even further on PS5 Pro. Though it lacks ray-traced key light shadows like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, you get all of the same benefits, from Performance Pro and Fidelity Pro to setting the quality of ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion. Best of all? You can go with Fidelity Pro and still average about 60 FPS (especially with VRR enabled), as tested by Digital Foundry, and it’s truly the best of both worlds.
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West already looked phenomenal on the PS5, even if 60 frames per second was the clear winner for many players. On PS5 Pro, Guerrilla Games went with a new upsampling solution independent of PSSR, resulting in higher image quality in Performance Mode. Quality Mode is even better, as it offers improved hair and skin, lighting volumetrics, and shadow filtering while rendering at native 4K. The results really speak for themselves and showcase just how much higher the console can take even some of the best-looking games.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
As a recent PS5 exclusive, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received some flak for its performance and image quality at launch. On PS5 Pro, it receives Versatility Mode, combining the best of both worlds to offer 60 frames per second at dynamic 4K courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. How dynamic? According to ElAnalistaDeBits, the internal resolution ranges from 1080p to 1440p, which is then upscaled using PSSR. While that may seem disappointing, the performance and image quality are better than their respective options on PS5.
Alan Wake 2
As one of the more aesthetically amazing survival horrors in years, Alan Wake 2 is all the more unique for how it runs on PS5 Pro. Quality Mode delivers 30 FPS with ray-traced reflections, rendering at 2176×1224 and outputting at native 4K. Meanwhile, Performance Mode runs at 60 frames per second, with a rendering resolution of 1536×864 and outputting at 4K while offering the same fidelity as Quality Mode on the PS5. The results are pretty impressive, whether you’re seeking better quality 60 FPS or more stunning visuals at 4K.
F1 24
While there’s significant hype for Gran Turismo 7 and its 8K mode, perhaps the most surprising racing title to run on PS5 Pro is F1 24. Ray tracing applies to Quality Mode while racing and not just replays, and combined with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, it also allows for 4K at 60 FPS. You can see all the reflections on the car chassis, distant reflections on building windows in the distance, and reflections from puddles, which look stunning. But that’s not all as it also allows for 120 Hz Performance Mode and 8K/60 Hz. Though the latter still feels experimental, it’s still very sharp looking, if Codemasters delivers on PSSR for the latter, F1 24 could very well be the standard for 8K racing on the console.
Baldur’s Gate 3
As amazing as Baldur’s Gate 3 was when it launched last year, PS5 players can attest to severe performance issues (especially in Act 3). It’s gotten much better following multiple updates, but the PS5 Pro version is worth noting, especially because it delivers visual quality that’s the equivalent of the PC version’s Ultra settings. While Performance Mode benefits from PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution to upscale 1440p to 4K at 60 FPS, it does still have some stutters in some of the game’s busier locations. Nevertheless, it’s still a solid update and one that will hopefully see more improvements over time.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
As much of a meme as The Last of Us and its remasters have been, there’s no denying that somehow, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered manages to look even better on PS5 Pro. Though rendering at 1440p, Pro Mode upscales and outputs it to 4K while targeting 60 frames per second, the latter remaining fairly locked throughout. All of its details (and there are a lot to behold) look even more stunning than ever, with breathtaking clarity.
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7 already set expectations before the PS5 Pro’s launch with its experimental 8K/60 FPS mode. While the update leverages PSSR to deliver some impressive image quality at 60 FPS, the image quality is noted by Digital Foundry to be less sharp than PS5. On the bright side, it is leveraging higher-quality ray tracing reflections and cube maps. If all that doesn’t sound good enough, you could leave the game unpatched and run it at 4K/120 FPS on the console.
