RTX 5080 vs PS5 Pro – how do they differ?
Table of Contents
The PS5 Pro is Sony’s absolute top console and packs a serious punch when it comes to performance. Now generally speaking, comparing GPUs to consoles tends to throw up the same results time and time again. In short, the GPU usually takes the win..but it’s always interesting to take note of what a console can achieve in comparison.
As mentioned, comparing a GPU to a console is in someway an awkward comparison, as GPUs inhabit their own space in the market, while consoles firmly sit in their own space too. So how do you actually compare them?
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We’ve taken a look at both the RTX 5080 and the PS5 Pro, not so much as to see which one is ‘best’, but explore the differences between the two – and that goes beyond simple ‘performance’. Both are excellent options in their own right, and both bring something unique to the table – so let’s take a closer look at them side by side.
Spec comparison
Here, we’ll compare the graphics aspects of the PS5 Pro to the RTX 5080. Compared to the console’s chip, a combined APU that has to work as the processor, the graphics card only works on the graphics as part of a whole system.
| Spec | RTX 5080 | PS5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| GPU name | GB203-400 | Viola |
| GPU architecture | Blackwell | RDNA 3 |
| Foundry and process | TSMC 5nm | TSMC 4nm |
| Base/Boost clock | 2,295/2,620MHz | 2,170/2,350MHz |
| Memory setup | 16GB GDDR7 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory bus/bandwidth | 256-bit/ 960GB/s | 256-bit/ 448GB/s |
| Shading units | 10,752 | 3,840 |
| TDP | 360W | 232W |
At the core, the two systems have very different processors behind them; being from two different manufacturers, they are different from the ground up. The RTX 5080 is an Nvidia Blackwell generation GPU created with the 4N TSMC process.
In comparison, the PS5 Pro has the Viola processor from AMD. Made with the RDNA 3 graphics architecture behind it and created with TSMC’s smaller 4nm process.
There are plenty of differences between the fundamentals after that, and the frequencies are different from the actual processors. The 5080 can run faster and reach 2,620MHz compared to PS5 Pro’s 2,350MHz, before any overclocked version and possibilities on desktop.
Nvidia RTX 5080 FE front on, Image by PCGuide
Nvidia RTX 5080 FE IO, Image by PCGuide
Nvidia RTX 5080 FE backplate, Image by PCGuide
Nvidia RTX 5080 FE standing, Image by PCGuide
PlayStation 5 Pro front IO and power, Image by PC Guide
PlayStation 5 Pro right side cover off, Image by PC Guide
PlayStation 5 Pro console and controller, Image by PC Guide
PlayStation 5 Pro back IO, Image by PC Guide
PlayStation 5 Pro left side plate off, Image by PC Guide
The memory installed for the two graphics processors also varies, not in capacity but in the bandwidth after. The PS5 Pro offers 16GB of dedicated VRAM from the GDDR6 spec, leading to a bandwidth of 448GB/s. The 5080 has 16GB of GDDR6, which leads to a faster 960GB/s bandwidth with the higher clock and tech, even with the same 256-bit bus width.
That does come in at a higher power requirement, though. The 5080 needs 360W of power supplied to it, compared to the more conservative 232W that the console requires. Even then, considering the 5080 needs more components alongside it, the power supply you need will be more significant.
Performance
We then put them to the test directly against each other in the same two games, Star Wars Jedi Survivor and Hogwarts Legacy, to see how they performed. Although capturing footage of the two, there was no direct way to capture the framerate of the console. However, we put the RTX 5080 through our PC Guide testing lab to complete its benchmarks. In our test bench, it was paired with the 9800X3D and 64GB of 6800MT/s RAM.
There is a slight difference in the settings, but you can change the visual quality. It’s relatively simple on the PS5 Pro, with the choice of Fidelity, Fidelity with Ray Tracing, or Performance. On PC, you get the choice to adjust each individual option from shadows to texture quality, so it’s a bit more in-depth to find the right setting for your hardware, including changing the resolution.
For the PS5 Pro, the performance mode is made to aim for around 120FPS utilizing PSSR upscaling, and you can feel that in both games we tested. Both games get an excellent framerate and just a tiny drop in details as the odd flower or extra details I removed. While turning on fidelity does drop that to around 60FPS, it is still playable but with much-improved quality.
On the other hand, the RTX 5080 on Epic and Ultra, the top preset settings in the games, can get a much higher framerate. Even on the 4K pure performance, it averages 95 in Star Wars and 144 in Hogwarts Legacy, which drops to 85 and 100, respectively, with ray tracing enabled.
However, turning on DLSS quality and even the first step of frame gen from DLSS 4 in Hogwarts Legacy quickly adds plenty of frame rates without much drop in quality. Now, getting 142 and 198FPS in these two blows the performance out of the water and with plenty more control. You can see the 5080 performance graphs below, along with the two gameplay videos.
Features
There are plenty of features on both of the devices that make them impressive and give them some incredible performance. With the introduction of upscaling to the PS5 Pro whilst Nvidia introduces multi-frame gen, which is used to further improve framerates while keeping a good quality look.
With the PSSR upgrade, the PS5 Pro combines the fidelity and performance modes to offer a 120FPS framerate and give users a better experience in general. Finally, offering AMD’s FSR technology to the console sector so you can get a lot more out of the compact system in one.
On the other hand, Nvidia brings more AI capabilities to its graphics cards. It now creates multiple frames with DLSS 4, compared to the initial frame gen in DLSS 3, which only produces one extra frame between the game’s rendered ones.
This does a great job of increasing the FPS considerably, as we found in our review. You can also see the kind of performance and quality in the graphs and video below, as the rather impressive tech can change 17/19FPS at the highest settings to well over 100.
Exclusives
If you were weighing up between the PS5 Pro and not just the 5080, but any GPU, you’ll want to consider exclusives. PS5 is well known for having incredible exclusives, however, there is a growing trend of these heading to PC. Titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, and even the likes of God of War Ragnarök have all made their way to Steam.
The only slight drawback is that typically, it takes a while for an exclusive PS5 game to become available for PC. For example, Spider-Man 2 was released in October 2023 for PlayStation, and only just released in January 2025 for PC. That’s a hefty wait, but for many, it’s worth it.
The same goes for PC gaming too. There are frankly endless titles to explore on PC, some of which won’t be available on PS5. You could even argue that PC is more suited to niche titles, and of course MMOs. And don’t forget the modding community too…
Ultimately, both sides have their merits, and it’s really a question of what you enjoy most.
Pricing
One of the significant factors between the two is their pricing. The PS5 Pro is a console that gets you a whole gaming system from the get-go without needing plenty of other components to go alongside it. With the RTX 5080, you’ll need to find a great CPU and all other elements to build with, adding hundreds of dollars to the cost.
The standalone GPU has an MSRP of $999, with the PS5 Pro coming in at $699, and considering the price of most RTX 5080 prebuilts hover between $2200 – $2600 or so, it really highlights the investment needed to go for an RTX 5080.
Comparing prices here, sure, the GPU seems astronomical against the PS5 Pro, but for many building a PC with a newer card, that’s part of package. The reality is that those looking at consoles will have different expectations when it comes to spend.
Which one is right for you?
If you’re actually weighing up between the two, it’s really about your budget and what’s important to you. The RTX 5080 is going to be one of the best graphics cards for sometime to come, and it’s a vast improvement on the previous generation. Getting one is tricky though, and prebuilt options are very expensive. Ultimately, it’s a question of how badly you want to game on one of the best GPUs yet.
For PS5 Pro, if you’re a console gamer, it’s the best of the best, and there are notable improvements to games, especially with PS5 Pro enhanced titles. Some of the games look stunning, and while it may not be a ‘like-for-like’ alternative to a 5080 PC in terms of performance, it’s a machine that is super user-friendly, easy to setup, and ready to go out of the box. Add that to some brilliant exclusives, and you’ve got an excellent option for the price.
Again – comparing the RTX 5080 against the PS5 Pro is an awkward comparison. They both have different audiences that like different things, but having these two distinct options in the first place is more than welcome in the gaming community, at least if you ask me.
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