The PS5 Pro is really finding its feet, with a series of recent upgrades and releases taking advantage of its PSSR 2 tech update.
The release of Pragmata is especially key, showcasing the console's new talents in glorious fashion.
When the PS5 Pro first launched, I wrote that it was brimming with potential – enough to justify its mammoth price tag. However, while some games ran better on the new console, it looked like I'd end up eating my words.
And that was compounded recently when Sony announced a price rise due to the ongoing RAM and storage crisis.
It was starting to look like the mid-generation refresh was to be a placeholder for PS6 and little more.
But then PSSR 2 arrived – the second generation version of Sony's PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology – and it's a literal game changer.
Pragmata: a new PS5 Pro showcase
Not only have we recently been served stunning upgrades to Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, bringing them more in line with their PC counterparts, Capcom has followed up its excellent Resident Evil Requiem (the first game to utilise PSSR 2) with arguably the greatest graphical showcase on the PS5 Pro to date.
I've been playing Pragmata on PS5 Pro for the best part of a week and it is everything I wanted when I watched the first online tease. Not only is it a perfectly balanced sci-fi action-adventure, with great lead characters and voice acting, it is breath-taking in its visual presentation.
You don't get the full path tracing experience we wrote about in our PC-focused piece yesterday, but ray tracing is still on board, along with a 4K resolution (helped by PSSR 2 upscaling) and smooth 60 frames per second gameplay.
You can also push the frame rates higher if you have a 120Hz display or TV. I found the game running at around 80-90fps on my PS5 Pro, but it wasn't quite locked or stable.
It also makes some graphical sacrifices (which I couldn't place my finger on at the time), and although my Philips OLED has VRR (variable refresh rate) I decided that the default 60 fps mode was a better option.
Capcom has certainly cleaned up the final release, with very little evidence of the shimmering and edge breakups experienced during the earlier demo version. And sometimes you have to just stop playing to appreciate the hair strand technology used on your Android assistant Diana's blonde locks.
A game to match the graphics
The game itself is also a joy to play, with a clever hacking mechanic having you solve on-screen puzzles during shoot-outs to deal greater damage. And exploration of the moonbase is always interesting – it reminds me of Stray in its pace and the way the story unfolds.
Boss battles are just tricky enough without becoming Dark Souls difficult, and while the game is not the longest to complete (up to 20 hours, depending on your path), the journey is well worth it. Indeed, some could argue that it's refreshing to have a shorter, tighter AAA game these days.
I can see Pragmata becoming the game that PS5 Pro owners load up when guests arrive, to show them the power of the console. It's out on 17 April 2026 and provides definitive proof that this generation of gaming is far from over yet.
Plus, with some retailers refusing to adopt Sony's eye-watering price hike, maybe you don't have to wait for PS6 or Project Helix to get a next-level experience.
Now it's over to you Rockstar.
