Sony has already started to stir up controversy over the announcement of the official launch of the revision of its next-generation console: the PS5 Pro. And it is no wonder, since its controversial price has made the pockets of most gamers who were eager to get their hands on a unit for a more moderate price gnash. The reality is that the illusion of acquiring it has completely diminished, not only because of its abusive cost, but for worse reasons.
24 hours after the PS5 Pro design and specs were revealed, we still can’t believe what Sony’s bosses could have thought of to offer a product with such an exorbitant price. Never before in the history of video games has such a scenario occurred, with Mark Cerny, Sony’s architect, unveiling one of the most anticipated devices of the year. However, it seems that the shot has backfired.
800 euros is the figure that the Japanese company has put on the table to encourage European users to buy it. A somewhat crazy strategy that calls into question whether or not it is really worth buying a PS5 Pro after 4 years of validity of the original. But Sony does nothing but make things more difficult than they are and, for the moment, the purchase of a PS5 Pro is ruled out for obvious reasons and others that are more worrying for the industry.
A prohibitive price that increases if you need a reader and a support
After watching the PS5 Pro launch event, my doubts about whether or not to buy this console have completely vanished. The main reason why I wouldn’t even think of spending a fortune is, obviously, its price. 800 euros for a console that won’t have a reader and will be completely digital. And the issue couldn’t be more unraveled when the stand to place the console vertically isn’t even included in the package.
If we add up all the missing accessories, we are looking at a total price of 950 euros (120 euros for the reader and 30 euros for the stand), which is an amount of money beyond the means of many users and almost double the price of the conventional PS5.
The poor display of raw power
We’re talking about a revision that boasts a faster GPU, AI-powered image enhancement, and the ability to increase frame rates through PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology.
For most consumers, all of these specs are of little importance when the trailer barely showed any games that demonstrated such quality. According to the PS5 Pro designer himself, the games shown off supposedly looked sharper and ran smoother in quality mode. A mode that, by the way, is not known for certain if it will feature native 4K resolution.
The worst part of all is that no new titles were tested, but rather the majority of those analyzed with the PS5 Pro improvements belong to the last generation, leading to a lack of understanding on the part of the most demanding public. Therefore, it gives the feeling that the PS5 has not yet reached its technical ceiling when we are halfway through its life cycle, and the jump is not going to be as evident as it was from PS4 to PS4 Pro.
A monopoly that is beginning to gain strength
Many users have been surprised that Sony has made the decision to set the price it wanted. But what is the reason? The truth is that the Japanese manufacturer’s sales are far above those of Xbox, its main rival, which is currently devastated by the poor figures for Series X and S.
In this way, PS5 has taken its own path and, with so many units sold behind it, its empowerment has caused the price to rise to exorbitant levels.
This is certainly a worrying fact for the video game industry, as this type of strategy limits access to purchases and their value will only be recognized by the most enthusiastic players.
