Announcement of PlayStation 5 Pro
Audience: We're so back!
On September 10, 2024, Sony revealed the new PlayStation 5 Pro in a technical presentation hosted by Mark Cerny, a new model of the PlayStation 5 which is 45% faster than the original PS5, featuring a deep learning image upscaling technology called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), and twice as fast ray tracing performance compared to the PlayStation 5. As a result, games optimized for the Pro are expected to support 4K resolutions at 60 FPS. It will also ship with a 2 TB internal SSD storage unit, but will not include an optical disc drive or vertical stand, which can be purchased separately. The US$699.99 MSRP alongside the lack of a vertical stand and disc drive resulted in a backlash and some even went as far as comparing it to the 60GB PlayStation 3's MSRP of US$599.99 and accusing Sony of not learning the mistakes made from the launch of the PlayStation 3. With the disc drive and stand combined, It's more expensive than the original production manufacture cost of the PS3 of 800$! Some Internet users also compared the PS5 Pro's MSRP price to the original launch MSRP of the Panasonic 3DO which also cost $699 at launch (note that due to inflation, money had much more purchasing power in the past). It's even pricier in Europe: €799.99 or £699.99, although this is because of the value-added tax (VAT) that is required by law to be included in listed prices, which the United States does not have. In comparison, the PS5 Digital Edition cost US$399.99 MSRP at launch.
What happened?
The nine-minute technical presentation of the PS5 Pro, hosted by Mark Cerny, showcased games that are enhanced for the PS5 Pro, as well as new and upgraded hardware features, such as AI-driven upscaling, advanced ray tracing, and a larger GPU.
However, once the price of the console has been revealed near the end of the presentation, it received numerous complaints from gamers, including the lack of a built-in disc drive and vertical stand (sold separately) for a console costing US$700 (it's even pricier in Europe: €800/£700). In comparison, the PS5 Digital Edition cost US$400 at launch.
The PS5 Pro console, a disc drive, and a vertical stand cost US$810 altogether, which shows that this is a very steep price tag for those who want to keep physical versions of PS5 games instead of digital versions of games.
Reactions
Upon the Pro's announcement, Rolling Stone observed an "overwhelmingly negative" response to the console's limited increase of benefits from the base model.[1] Sports Illustrated mocked the price point, with editor Dave Aubrey writing "It feels almost cruel, in a climate like this, to try and convince people that the PS5 Pro, with its meager enhancements, is actually worth the money."[2]
Meme Gallery
-
PS5 pricing in a nutshell
-
Having no disc drive for an already expensive console is criminal.
-
PS5 PRO EXTREME leaked. Only $1,200 (disc drive and vertical stand sold separately. Power cable not included)
-
If PS5 Pro had honest marketing.
-
USD and GBP to EUR
-
And it doesn't include a stand or disc drive
-
Sony announcing the PS5
-
If you know, you know...
-
Sony resurrected it
-
Insane pricing
-
PS5 pro is giving PS3 reveal flashback
.jpeg)
.png)
.jpeg)
