Gamers are still in shock over the $700 price point of the PS5 Pro. Perhaps they will be comforted by the recent FF7 Rebirth PS5 Pro vs PS5 comparison at Digital Foundry.
Take a look at DF’s breakdown below:
Even with the thumbnail, you can notice a sharper, less blurry shot of Aerith’s face. Look at those pores!
DF can get a little technical in its videos, but we’ll give you the general gist of things. While the base PS5 game looked quite good running at 30 FPS in its Graphics Mode, its image quality suffered when running at 60 FPS in its Performance Mode. That soft and imprecise image is rectified by the title performing on a PS5 Pro, with sharper visuals now coexisting with the buttery smooth higher framerate.
Related: FF7 Rebirth Best Chocobo Gear & Loadout Explained
All that being said, the PS5 Pro version of FF7 Rebirth still has some slight issues. Some don’t have to do with the machine, as problems with the lighting and pop-in textures have to do with the game itself. Others, like the PS5 Pro’s PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) and its use of AI-driven upscaling, cause obstacles such as shimmering and strange particle effects. Sacrifices to reach that 4K image quality.
So, what does this mean to you, the consumer? It depends on your disposable income. Is forking over $700 ($800 if you want a stand and disc drive) for a PS5 Pro worth it to play a game like FF7 Rebirth in a less muddy fashion? While I can see the difference between the two versions in DF’s analysis, this kind of thing doesn’t bother me on a personal level. I always stick to Performance Mode with my games, as having smoother gameplay means way more to me than the crispiest image. Not needing to have a tradeoff with a PS5 Pro is a welcome addition, but not enough to spend almost $1K. For now, I am content with seeing these better images focusing on Red XIII’s fur, Barret’s teeth, and Tifa’s ear.