Which NVIDIA graphics card comes closest to PlayStation 5 performance
According to Digital Foundry, the NVIDIA card closest to the standard PlayStation 5 is the RTX 2070 Super. The comparison is imprecise, however, because the console uses a single combined chip.
Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) gaming console can be compared with PC graphics cards, but only loosely. Tech site Engadget reports that, according to Digital Foundry, a specialist outlet that analyses video game hardware performance, the NVIDIA card that best matches the standard PS5's processor is the RTX 2070 Super. The question matters now because both consoles and PC components are expensive.
Why the comparison is imprecise
The PS5 uses an AMD-made APU, a single chip that handles both central processor and graphics tasks. There is no directly equivalent part in the PC world. The RTX 2070 Super has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the PS5 has 16 GB of unified GDDR6. The card can reach PS5-level performance under the right conditions, but that also depends on the processor and system memory. A weak processor becomes the bottleneck even when paired with a powerful card.
Prices
The RTX 2070 Super launched in 2019. The cheapest new model on Amazon currently costs $280, about 53 percent of the $600 PS5 Digital Edition. The author suggests looking at the second-hand market.
The upgraded PS5 Pro, which launched in late 2024 at $700, is now cited at $1,250. The closest cards to its raw power are the 16 GB RTX 5060 Ti and AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT, which can outperform the console with the right settings and a capable processor. The RTX 5060, meanwhile, is the second-most used card in the Steam survey with a 4.40 percent share and costs at least $500.
Conclusion
The author's view is that a PS5 or PS5 Pro is sufficient for 4K gaming at 60 frames per second with reasonable ray tracing. Anyone wanting path tracing at 120 frames per second should choose a PC with a high-end graphics card.
