New GPUs

Ahead of the PlayStation 5 Pro's launch in 2025, the console's high sticker price made a lot of pundits wonder: could a mainstream PC match or exceed the output of Sony's new hardware while delivering similar value? Key to the discussion was the choice of GPU, one of the more expensive elements of a prospective PC build. Once the Pro arrived, conjecture gave way to actual testing and if you're looking for Pro-equivalence or better in most areas, we'd recommend the 16GB models of AMD's RX 9060 XT (launch MSRP $349) and Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti (launch MSRP $429).

The testing methodology used to arrive at this conclusion is fairly straightforward. Over the years, we've delivered a range of optimised settings for PC titles, based on our own observations, comparisons with current-gen console versions of the same games and even input from the developers themselves on the PC-equivalent settings found in their console builds. Where exact settings matches are not available, we have closest equivalents.

Black Myth: Wukong in its launch guise features a performance mode that runs at 1080p with an unlocked performance level. It's hardly the most optimal console port, yet we can run the same internal resolution on both of our favoured GPUs, with overhead to spare in using FSR 4 or DLSS upscaling to hit a 4K output and performance is still higher.

Meanwhile, matching the performance mode settings of Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 Pro on both GPUs also sees them outpacing Sony's console, though it is held back by a 60fps cap we can disable on PC.

Arguably the most telling result comes from our tests of Alan Wake 2, in which we adjust PC game settings to resemble two PS5 Pro modes: a "performance" mode that doesn't quite reach a locked 60 fps, and a "quality" mode that adds ray tracing and sticks more firmly to a 30 fps refresh. In these comparisons, the PCs were able to easily reach a higher refresh rate using equivalent settings to PS5 Pro's performance mode, while PS5 Pro's quality mode beat both PC cards - the caveat being that Pro is using a lower-than-low RT setting we can't replicate on PC.

A straight PC GPU to PS5 Pro comparison also misses plenty of nuance and context. You can't run your PlayStation library on a PC, so options for improving an existing catalogue of games are going to be more limited for console owners. Meanwhile, PC users have access to a much wider range of system features: for example, an RTX 5060 Ti using DLSS 4 multi frame generation can run Cyberpunk 2077 in RT Overdrive mode at an upscaled 1440p output at well over 100 frames per second.

Beyond that though, choosing either of these GPUs has more of a focused function for PC users. They are good picks that tick plenty of boxes, performing well at the popular 1440p output resolution (as opposed to attempting to address a 4K panel as the Pro does) while opening the door to ray tracing features. Both also have superior upscaling support: these days, both FSR 4 and DLSS look good upscaling to 1440p from their balanced presets. Just be sure to opt for the 16GB models. Both of these GPUs have 8GB variants, which is proving restrictive on a range of triple-A PC releases.