Sony announces PS5 Pro, a $700 graphical upgrade available Nov. 7

Sony today announced the PlayStation 5 Pro, a mid-generation hardware upgrade that will play the same game library as 2020's PlayStation 5, but with higher frame rates and better resolution than on the original system. The new units will be available on November 7 for $700, Sony said.

The updated hardware will come complete with 2TB of solid-state storage (up from 1TB on the original PS5), but without an Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive, which users can purchase as an add-on accessory for $80.

In a video presentation Tuesday, Sony's Mark Cerny said PS5 developers "desire more graphics performance" in order to deliver the visuals they want at a frame rate of 60 fps. The lack of enough graphical power on the PS5 leads to a difficult decision for players between the higher resolution of "fidelity" mode and the smoother frame rates of "performance" mode (with three-quarters of players choosing the latter, according to Cerny).