Pure Pool Pro: The Ultimate PS5 Pool Sim Review
Pure Pool Pro is a hyper-realistic cue sports simulation designed to bring the authentic feel of the pool hall into your living room. Players can master US 8-Ball and 9-Ball formats across a massive career mode featuring hundreds of unique events and challenges. With a focus on lifelike physics and high-fidelity visuals, it offers everything from professional tournaments to casual local multiplayer matches.
Developer: Rockwater Games
Publisher: Ripstone Ltd
Genre: Sports / Simulation
Release Date: February 12, 2026
Official Website: Ripstone – Pure Pool Pro
UK Store Link: PlayStation Store
Jump to: specs | gameplay | performance | settings
Pure Pool Pro PlayStation 5 Review: Specs & HUD
- Download Size: 9.98GB.
- Trophies: Platinum trophy included.
- Game Modes: Career mode (US 8 ball and 9 ball), Challenges mode, and Online Vs.
- Menu Features: Help menus and a practice area, including a free play area, are on the menu at all times.
- HUD: Aiming guide is on as the default for the lower difficulties, then goes on the higher ones and on the daily clearance.
- Social: Full friends list integration and a handy block players option.
- Unlocks: Player card has unlocks for crests, player card, and stats screen.
Pure Pool Pro PlayStation 5 Review
The gameplay is a proper Snooker Sim style, and it features an interactive tutorial option to get you started. There are three tournament difficulties in career mode, with five career tournaments that are a mix of matches and mini games, like pot as fast as you can. You earn 1 to 3 stars in career mode matches and events to unlock new matches and events. Daily clearance is an event where the table will have balls randomly all over the table, and you have to clear all the balls consecutively.
The challenges mode features daily clearance, royal rumble, checkpoint, speed pot, and perfect potter. I like that any earned crests pop up during play, and you keep them even if you lose the game. You can earn crests from doing actions like planting a shot or potting consecutively. Online Vs mode features support for an invite system and the traditional quick game option, plus there is two-player local Vs mode support. The controls are very tight and responsive, and once you get the sensitivity right, it’s golden. You use the left stick to aim shots, and the right stick to power your shots by clicking backwards then forwards. You can even stand up from the table, walk around and get a better view.
I found it an excellent little game to play a frame or two here and there, and I always have a go at the daily clearance. There are online leaderboards for the daily clearance, and it’s separated by difficulty.
Pure Pool Pro PlayStation 5 Review: Performance & Fidelity
- Visuals: Gorgeous, realistic graphics with an arcade-like presentation.
- Locations: Two locations available – Rackhaus and Tetradome.
- Graphics Settings: Frame rate toggle available in the menus.
- Loading: Fast loading times throughout.
- Cinematics: Shot cinematic feature gives a cool slowdown shot on your final pot.
Settings, Customisation & Control Details
- Customisation: Unlocks for Cues, Balls, and Baize.
- Gameplay Toggles: Shot cinematic, input prompts, crossplay, and voice chat.
- Controls: Invert axis and sensitivity sliders.
- Brightness: Dedicated brightness slider.
- Audio Sliders: Menu, ambience, music, SFX, and master volume.
- Music: Five music genres that can each be toggled on or off – Lo-fi, jazz, hip hop, electronic, and pop.
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Pure Pool Pro Review
Summary
THRILLS & HIGHLIGHTS
The visuals are absolutely gorgeous and realistic, giving off a proper arcade-like presentation that looks the business. The controls are very tight and responsive, and once you get the sensitivity right, it’s golden for pulling off those tricky shots. I really like that any earned crests pop up during play, and you keep them even if you lose the game, which keeps the rewards coming. It’s an excellent little game to play a frame or two here and there, especially with that daily clearance mode.
KEY NEGATIVES
There are only two locations to play in, which feels a bit thin on the ground. You can so easily pause the game and accidentally start a new game or quit out of the menu, which is a real pain. Personally, I wish it were easier to restart on the daily clearance without the faff. The AI can sometimes feel like they turn into a pool superstar and misses no shots at all. The game doesn’t feel as meaty as previous games; it probably is, mind, but the length to unlock things is long and feels distant.
OVERALL VERDICT
Pure Pool Pro is a sim for anyone wanting a quick frame or a lighter take on a pool career. While it lacks a bit of meat in the venue department and the AI can be a proper nightmare when they go into superstar mode, the actual feel on the baize is top-tier. Once you’ve tweaked the sensitivity, the handling is proper, boss. It’s not quite a massive leap, but for a cheeky game of pool on the sofa, it’s a class act. Total sorted.
