Comparing a PC and a console is a bit like comparing apples and oranges: both satisfy our gaming cravings, but they do so in different ways. With the announcement of the PS5 Pro and all its improvements over the original, users are wondering how it compares to PC hardware. Bring on the “PC builds that beat the PS5 Pro.”
According to SonyThe new Pro console packs 67% more processing units and 28% faster memory. This results in a very respectable claim of 45% faster rendering for a smoother experience. There’s a lot of talk about this from Sony, but how does it compare to the RTX 4060? Well, we need to do some math.
The standard PS5 has 36 CUs, which results in 2304 shader units. TechPowerup sayswhich is roughly equivalent to an AMD RX 6700, the PS5 Pro apparently has 67% more, so 36 x 1.67 is 60, which likely results in 3840 shader units (if the ratios stay the same), which is roughly equivalent to the RX 6800. So that means it's the RTX 4060 vs the RX 6800, right? Not exactly.
The latest leaks suggest that the PS5 Pro GPU could be based on RDNA 3, which based on the specs we estimate, could be closer to the 7800 XT, better justifying the $699 price tag.
PS5 Pro vs RTX 4060
Since we don't yet know what the PS5 Pro will be powering, we'll be taking a look at both the RX 6800 and 7800 XT to see how they compare to the RTX 4060.
Below are the results for each GPU in Cyberpunk 2077 through our internal GPU tests:
| GPU | CP 2077 Average FPS | CP 2077 99% FPS |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 4060 | 77 | 60 |
| RX6800 | 109 | 82 |
| RX 7800 XT | 140 | 102 |
As we can see from these results, the RX 6800 and 7800 XT are both miles ahead of the RTX 4060. While the actual PS5 Pro chip won't be a full-sized dedicated GPU chip – it will likely be more miniaturized and optimized for power consumption – it should still be able to compare to a desktop 4060.
While the PS5 Pro's chip loses out in terms of power delivery optimizations, it will gain more from the fact that games are optimized for that specific hardware. Of course, this is just one game, but it serves as a teaser for what we can expect from the PS5 Pro when it launches.
Sony also boasts that the advanced ray tracing it has incorporated can “sometimes” fire rays at three times the speed of the current PS5. Not to mention the Introduction of PSSRSony's AI-powered climber.
The console hardware is more optimized
Due to the consoles' limited hardware, developers are able to optimize games to run on the hardware built into the PS5 Pro, resulting in better performance. This can't be said for PC gamers, as there are so many hardware combinations available that developers can't optimize games for all available combinations, so they take a more general approach.
A well-optimized game can make all the difference. That's probably why PC ports have been so bad lately: it's easier to optimize for consoles and satisfy that market. But that's a discussion for another article.
How will the GPU be kept cool?
The standard PS5 has a single-barrel fan design that directs air over components, but since there aren’t any confirmed changes to the PS5 Pro’s cooling design, we can assume this will be the go-to setup. The RTX 4060 also has cards with just a single fan, but that fan is designed to cool just the GPU and doesn’t have to worry about cooling an entire system.
It follows from this that the PS5 Pro's GPU will be slightly reduced, as the TDP of a standard 4060 is 115W, while the PS5's total TDP was 180W. The rest of the PS5 Pro (if the TDP is similar) is unlikely to run at just 65W.
