3 PS5 Pro mistakes that everyone makes – and how to avoid them

The PS5 Pro is an absolute beast of a machine, and clearly the most powerful games console on the market today, but that doesn't mean it's flawless. For one thing, although its power is undeniable, plenty of people might not realise that there are plenty of settings and features they could be using wrong.

If you're a new PS5 Pro owner looking for some reassurance, or you're thinking about picking up Sony's Pro console soon, check out this quick list of some things to consider when you're setting up your PS5 Pro. Even if you've been using it since launch, you might get some useful pointers on these three mistakes that too many people are making.

1. Forgetting to double-check settings

The PS5 Pro has power to spare, and promises a world in which your games no longer make you compromise between frame rates and visual fidelity. However, that doesn't mean that you can just boot it up and play games without ever delving into their settings menus.

While some titles (like the excellent Kingdom Come: Deliverance II) will give you a single graphical setting that best uses the console's boosted power, most others still have options to choose from. In some cases, you'll get new Pro modes to select, but either way you'll still likely get to tweak things to, for example, enable variable refresh rates (VRR) on compatible displays.

So, make sure you don't just assume that you're going to get the best settings out of the box. It's still a game-by-game situation, as fiddly as that can feel, and you might even sometimes need some online guidance on particular titles' best settings.

2. Forgetting to play with your sound setup

If you're a PS5 Pro sort of gamer, maybe you're already a proud owner of one of the best gaming headsets on the market, and exclusively use that with your console. If so, you're all set.

However, many gamers looking at the best console money can buy probably want to pair it with one of the best surround sound systems or soundbars they can get their hands on. While eARC on an HDMI slot can often make hooking all of this up very simple, you're probably still going to have to delve into the PS5 Pro's audio settings to get everything set up perfectly.

With choices between the likes of Linear PCM, Bitstream and more for your audio output, the best option for you might take a little research. As the owner of a Sonos Beam (Gen 1) with some surrounds, I can testify to how labyrinthine that process can get, but once you find the perfect combination of settings on some forum or Reddit thread, you'll be so glad you put the legwork in. It'll ensure lag-free surround sound that's just as good for movies as it is for gaming.

3. Not picking up a disc drive

The PlayStation 5 Pro is a disc-free console out of the box, a decision from PlayStation that I don't love. It indicates a move towards a digital-first future for consoles that makes buying pre-owned tougher, and sharing games similarly difficult.

Still, the PS5 Pro is compatible with the PlayStation 5 Disc Drive, a somewhat pricy extra that you can very easily slot onto your console to give it physical media capabilities. I've done just that and wouldn't have it any other way, since it means I can borrow games and buy them used – that'll earn me back the price of the drive extremely quickly in savings.

Plus, I already mentioned the option of watching movies and being able to play physical media in pristine 4K is a brilliant addition to your PS5 Pro that can make it even more of a media centre. It's a bit of an annoying expense, but you're already shelling out for the best console, so it makes sense.