PS5 Pro $700 announcement felt like it shook reality

Let me fill you in on a secret. This morning I wrote the outline of a reaction to the PS5 Pro announcement that Sony had yet to make, including my desire to pre-order it. I felt I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. In many ways I was right. In one major way I was wrong. The following is that article, but now with added context around the PS5 Pro’s release price.

Sony just announced its long-rumoured PS5 Pro. It feels like we’ve known about this console from even before the PS5 launched, the machine thought to bridge the gap between the current PS5 (now four years on the market, if you can believe it) and the inevitable PS6 – just like the PS4 did ahead of the PS5.

And, yeah, after watching Mark Cerny, Lead Architect of the PS5, talk for nine minutes, that is exactly what the PS5 Pro is, it seems. Yet, it feels like a less desirable machine than the PS4 Pro was at the time, so why did I just pre-order it? I honestly don’t know.

Note 1: I did not pre-order the PS5 Pro. Pre-orders open on September 26, and the PS5 Pro is £700 and has no disc drive. That costs more.

Consoles are fixed machines, so what was once technologically powerful (or at least respectable if you’re looking at this jeering from behind you juggernaut PC) quickly becomes old-hat. It’s not obvious as game developers tend to squeeze consoles for all they’ve got, but if you’ve had a glance over at what’s happening with games in the high-end PC world, well, let’s just say console players are at least already one generation behind.

The PS5 Pro, a rather niche bit of hardware aimed at the hardcore (Note 2: £700 of niche) gives those willing to pay for (Note 3: presumably not that many) it a console that doesn’t feel quite so far behind the cutting edge of gaming. So the question I pose myself and you are likely wondering yourself is: do I need this?

“Need” is an awkward word when it comes to justifying a purchase. Look around you and you’ll likely find you don’t need the majority of things on your desk, let alone in your house or apartment. So, no, I don’t need a PS5 Pro. I need essential nutrition from food, somewhere to sleep, etc. I’d struggle to make an argument for needing the five coffees I’ve already had today. Maybe “want” is a better term. But why do I want a PS5 Pro when I’ve already got a PS5?

Note 5: Because I have £700 burning a hole in my wallet? I do not.

PS4 Pro was an easy sell, really. I’d just bought a new 4K TV, God of War had received a 4K update, and given I spent most of my gaming time on a PS4 I felt it made a reasonable amount of sense. PS5 Pro enters into a completely different world, for me at least. My PS5 and Xbox Series X both do a decent job at 4K already, I tend to use my Xbox more these days (which is quite the turnaround), and if I’m honest I don’t feel the PS5 has really delivered enough to make me think it’s tapped out. What games am I going to play on this new console that will make me not regret handing over [insert price]?

Note 6: £700, and honestly, it would probably take a miracle game to not result in mega regret.

I expect the big factor in my hasty pre-order was FOMO (Note 7: I didn’t pre-order. See earlier point about the pre-order date and the frankly shocking £700 price tag the fear of missing out.) A number of games I’ve played recently have all felt visually compromised in one way or another, but that’s fine as everyone was in the same boat. Alan Wake 2 looks way nicer at 30FPS, but plays so much more smoothly at 60. Space Marine 2 is almost silky smooth at 60FPS (on Series X at least), but the clarity of image takes a huge hit. If these issues are resolved on PS5 Pro, and I don’t own one, I’ll know I could be having a better experience and the FOMO will hit.

Note 8: Alan Wake 2 was shown off, and the update seems to do exactly as what I wanted. £700 though.

[More here on actual tech improvements]

Note 9: PS5 Pro makes games sharper thanks to its AI upscaling, offers better frame rates than on PS5, and lets devs make better use of ray tracing. All nice, but £700 nice?

Let’s face it. I’m a sucker for new things, even though I know they won’t likely get used much. Already today I’ve pre-ordered The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a game I doubt I’ll actually play for months, but don’t want to miss the conversation around it (which as I just said, I probably still will). I was moments from pre-ordering another retro handheld this morning (Retroid Pocket 5), but did manage to talk myself out of that one. I’ve still got an Anbernic RG35XX H portable to fully setup and use, and my PS Portal and PS VR2 sit to the side of me each wearing a visible layer of dust. Hell, even my Steam Deck hasn’t been turned on for two weeks.

Note 10: Didn’t take much actually to talk me around to not wanting to pre-order a PS5. Just the price of £700.

With a new console purchase, reason isn’t always the main factor at play. At one point in the early 2000s I bought multiple Nintendo GameCubes to get different colours (Note 11: I could have bought five and a bit GameCubes for £700).

I think the PS5 Pro has more of a legitimate pull than those did, but time will tell I guess. When I’m playing Wolverine in 2025 and his claws reflect the entire game world (when you turn on Photo Mode and zoom right in at an angle that would never be possible during gameplay), who is going to be feeling that FOMO? Not me (Note 12: Actually me, as I’m not spending £700). Absolutely not. (Note 13: Absolutely yes) For the 15 hours I spend with it before going back to whatever is on Game Pass for Xbox. Money well spent. Well done, me. You peasants (Note 14: me, and everyone else) on a normal PS5 can only see the near area reflected on his claws. That’s so 2020!

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.

PS5 Pro will launch on November 7, 2024 and will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation. Preorders will begin on September 26, 2024.