Why People Hate The PS5 Pro

Sony just announced the PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro), and people are not happy. I do not have to hide the lead, as people already know the issues. At the Forefront is price and digital gaming. As per Sony’s website, “The PS5 Pro console will be available this holiday at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $699.99, £699.99, €799.99, and ¥119,980 (includes tax).” Also, did I mention that the PlayStation 5 Pro will have no disk drive? Honestly, the backlash regarding the disk drive took me a little back. I only buy games online. However, the majority of people feel strongly about physical disks.

Having that ownership no one can take away is important to people. Regardless of this, before we go into people’s reactions, let’s first discuss what you will be getting from Sony for 700 dollars. Going back to their website, they say you get an “upgraded GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother. Additionally, you will receive Advanced Ray Tracing, which provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.”

“Also do not forget about the AI-Driven Upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.” There is a lot more detail to go over, but most people are not too bothered by that. I will, from my side, just mention the design. I think it looks sleek, and I have always been a fan of the way the PS5 looked.

Why The PS5 Pro Announcement Was A Disaster

There are a lot of people who think that the PS5 Pro announcement could have gotten better. The truth is that most console owners are not used to this type of price tag. While Consoles such as the PS3 have seen these highs, most people get into console gaming because it is cheaper than a gaming PC. However, since consoles have started competing with gaming PCs on the graphics front, there has also been an increase. While there are a lot of people who will be happy to pay for this, there are also many who will not. There is some good news for Sony, though.

The truth is that it does not matter. The PlayStation 5 has already sold extremely well. The PS5 Pro is just nice to have. People who cannot afford it can just go with the diskless PS5 for 400 dollars. It would have been much worse if this were the base PS5 being released at launch. Obviously, though, it does not mean it is great. It is still an important product, and Sony will want it to succeed. Otherwise, they would not release it. A mid-generation release has become a core business model for Xbox and PlayStation. They rely on these releases to breathe new life into their systems when some of the hype has been lost.

The release of the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro played a vital part in selling both consoles in the last generation. While the option of buying the cheaper base PS5 is still there, the excitement for new players who considered the Pro might be lost. This will not kill Sony, but it could still hurt their bottom line.

What Is Next For The PS5 Pro

As I have mentioned, mid-generation releases are vital for consoles. Whether slim or Pro versions, they depend on these releases. However, as mentioned, the Pro is for hardcore fans. Most fans will simply opt for the cheaper version. Regardless, the fan reactions online were still very entertaining to read. One user said, “Very cool, but no disk drive, that makes it instantly a no-go.” Another wrote, “Where were you drunk when you came up with those prices?”

A comment also reads, “Playstation, we have no games, and we raised the controller prices. We are getting rid of your physical media. We are basically Xbox in every way; we just have more nostalgia. Now pay us 700 bucks, you pay pigs, for the privilege of saying you’re a pay pig.” One comment said, “You had a quarter of a billion to invest in garbage like Concord, and you could afford to put a disk drive on your flagship product. Are you trying to race Ubisoft to bankruptcy?”

There are many more comments like this, but you get the picture. People did not expect a price tag that would be this high. They also did not expect a PlayStation Pro with no disk drive. Dispite our move into the digital age, many are not ready. People do not want to give up ownership of their video games, and I do not blame them. While mediums like movies through Netflix and music through iTunes have dominated the market, for gamers, it is still a touchy subject. I understand this feeling very well. While I am a digital gamer, I like my physical books.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the price was too high, and Sony missed the mark. However, I do not see them changing it. While Xbox is a great competitor in the gaming space, Sony still clears them on console sales. There are a lot of valid reasons for this, but they do not matter. With the exception of the Nintendo Switch, Sony is still undisputed king. In terms of market share, it is not close. While Xbox has closed the gap with big studio purchases, Sony still reigns as king. Thus, they will stay the course and release the PlayStation 5 Pro at 700 dollars for their most dedicated fans.