Sony has just announced the PlayStation 5 Pro, and despite a handful of great new features the price tag has left many gamers in shock. At a staggering $700 USD (disc drive and vertical stand both sold separately), the PS5 Pro is significantly more expensive than its predecessor, the PlayStation 4 Pro, which launched at $399.
This dramatic price increase has caused a wave of disappointment across the gaming community but fans aren’t just frustrated by the cost, but also by the lackluster lineup of games being promoted alongside the system, specifically last-gen titles with upgrades and current-gen titles that have been out for a long time already.
Titles like The Last of Us Part II and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 were shown off and, while beloved, they are years old and don’t exactly showcase new content that fully utilizes the Pro’s upgraded hardware but rather, how things like shadows and reflections are improved (though in some respects, PS5 Pro looked noticeably worse or not noticeable at all). Not that we expect PS5 Pro exclusive titles, but it would have been nice to see something different when advertising a console at this price point.
Was the PS5 Pro reveal ($700 USD)
exciting, or a dud for you?— Destin (@DestinLegarie) September 10, 2024
As console sales continue to decline, Sony’s solution is to raise the price
Brilliant https://t.co/b7b4Fi4RXi
— Michael Pachter (@michaelpachter) September 10, 2024
The PS5 Pro boasts three key features: a larger GPU that is 67% bigger than the base PS5, with a 45% increase in rendering speed, Advanced Ray Tracing for enhanced lighting and reflections, and AI-Driven Upscaling powered by a system called PSSR. This technology is said to increase the detail of individual pixels, making games sharper and more visually appealing. However, despite these improvements, many gamers are skeptical that these upgrades will make a significant difference for most players and don’t see the features justifying the price.
The PS5 Pro console will be available this holiday at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699.99 USD, £699.99 GBP, €799.99 EUR, and ¥119,980 JPY (includes tax). It will include a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed in every PS5 Pro purchase. PS5 Pro is available as a disc-less console, with the option to purchase the currently available Disc Drive for PS5 separately.
Online reactions to the PS5 Pro have been overwhelmingly negative, with many people condemning the price. Critics argue that the improvements are too marginal to justify such a high cost. To make matters worse, the only upcoming game that might fully take advantage of the PS5 Pro’s hardware is Grand Theft Auto 6. However, this highly anticipated title is rumored to be delayed until 2026 for consoles, with a PC release pushed back even further.
International pricing has also fueled the outrage. In the UK, the PS5 Pro is priced at over £800— also without a disc drive—adding even more frustration for European gamers. Some were even quick to point out that the console is more expensive there, probably for legal and trade reasons, despite the fact that their currency is more valuable at present with $1.31 USD equal to £1.00 GBP at the time of this writing. Of course, there is likely a justifiable reason for this, due to exchange rates and other things we know very little about but £800 is insane for any video game console.
With few new games to justify the steep investment, many players are questioning whether the PS5 Pro is worth the money, especially when its biggest selling points appear to be improvements that will go unnoticed by most games currently on the market.
PS5 Pro will launch on November 7, 2024 and will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation at direct.playstation.com. Preorders will begin on September 26, 2024.
