It's official, The worst-kept secret in gaming this year has finally come to light with Sony’s announcement of the PlayStation 5 Pro. In a pre-recorded presentation streamed live on PlayStation’s YouTube channel, PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny laid out the future of the updated version of Sony’s current console, as well as its astronomical price points in global markets.
The presentation itself is relatively short, at just under 10 minutes, but Cerny spends the first third explaining the features that made the original PlayStation 5 (which launched in 2020) such a powerful console, including a fast GPU and ray-traced lighting effects. From there, Cerny introduces the key principles of the latest version of the console, which he refers to as the “Big Three.”
According to the video, the big three consist of a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and AI-powered upscaling, but only the third feature appears to represent a new feature beyond simply expanding the console’s processing speed and power. The big selling point is the increased resolution (targeting 4K) and frame rate (targeting 60fps) of games, without having to choose between Fidelity or Performance modes as most current PS5 games require.
At $699.99 in North America, the PS5 Pro is about $200 more expensive than the current model.
Online reactions were largely negative, with many fans and industry figures alike taking to X (formerly Twitter) to air their grievances.
Some have pointed to disappointment that the PS5 Pro only targets 60fps, a feature that was heavily promoted, though not always offered, with the initial PS5.
Others expressed confusion over the side-by-side comparisons, most of which were almost unfathomable in quality to some viewers, despite Cerny's explanations of how detailed distant objects were with the new, updated horsepower.
One major point of contention has been the radical price hike for the console, especially after recent increases in the cost of the standard PS5 in Japan and North America. The new PS5 Pro appears to be sold without the essential features that the base model comes with, such as the built-in UHD Blu-ray drive or even the vertical stand that comes with each box. Both are now sold separately, pushing the total cost well beyond the recommended retail price.
In European markets, the device is also disproportionately priced at €799.99, leading to the perception that it may be cheaper to buy a unit from North America and ship it to the EU than to buy one locally.
After a turbulent few weeks for Sony, which shut down its failed multiplayer shooter Concord after just two weeks, on the same day that the brand's most critically acclaimed exclusive Astro Bot launched, some users have been mocking the upsetting impact the company's decisions have had on fans.
Sony hasn't made any announcements regarding the discontinuation of the current PlayStation 5 models, but following the trends of previous mid-generation upgrades like 2013's PlayStation 4 Pro, the standard console will likely remain readily available as a more affordable option for beginners who don't want to pay for the higher-end version.
Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro is scheduled to launch on November 7, 2024.
