Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) officially announced their mid-generation refresh, the PlayStation 5 Pro, earlier today in a 9-minute technical presentation by Mark Cerny, Sony’s Lead Architect of the PS5.
The PS5 Pro boasts a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and a brand-new AI upscaling tech called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). All of this translates to better image clarity and smoother performance, offering us consistent 60 frames per second with the best possible visual settings. The PS5 Pro also comes with a 2TB SSD and Wi-Fi 7.
However, my biggest gripe is the price tag. At USD $699.99, it’s a significant jump from the standard PS5. And it’s even more frustrating when you consider that the PS4 Pro launched at the same price as the original PS4, making it a much more attractive upgrade. What’s even worse, the PS5 Pro doesn’t even include an optical drive (USD $80) or a vertical stand (USD $29), which will set you back an additional USD $109. So, you’re looking at a total cost of USD $809.
Sure, some PlayStation fans will argue that the price is justified because of the performance gains and increased manufacturing costs. And to some extent, they’re right. But let’s not forget that consoles are meant to be an affordable option for those who can’t afford a gaming PC.
The PS5 is already halfway through its life cycle, and Sony should have considered lowering the price of the standard model to make the PS5 Pro more appealing. Instead, they’ve actually raised the price in some regions, making it even harder for consumers to justify the upgrade.
The original PS5 is already powerful enough, offering both Fidelity and Performance modes for most games, just like the PS4 Pro did. Plus, it comes with a stand and an optical drive, unlike PS5 Pro. Most games look and run great on the standard PS5, making the PS5 Pro feel less like a necessary upgrade and more like a cash grab.
Spending over $800 for a console that doesn’t even include basic accessories like a stand and an optical drive just doesn’t make sense. For most people, the standard PS5 is still the better option. Even if Sony has the market share advantage and stronger playerbase over its competition, the pricing isn’t justified and this feels like Sony just went back to its PS3 days.
The PlayStation 5 Pro is officially launching on November 7, 2024, with pre-orders going live this September 29, 2024.