When the PlayStation 5 Pro was revealed back in September, the system’s price stirred up a lot of controversy. With a price of $699 and no disc drive, the cost of admission is very high. However, the system is now in the hands of those willing to pay, and it seems the level of interest is about what PlayStation was expecting. In the company’s latest financial results (via Genki_JPN), Sony president Hiroki Totoki made the claim that pricing hasn’t seemed to dissuade fans. That could obviously change given how new the system is, but things seem to be off to a good start.
“Hardcore users are the target of this hardware,” said Totoki. “In terms of the pricing many people made different comments on that, but pricing on PS5 pro has not had a negative impact I don’t think.”
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Totoki is correct that the PS5 Pro is not targeting the kind of wide audience that a normal console release would; as a mid-generation refresh, this is the kind of product that’s meant to appeal to PlayStation’s most passionate fans. Those fans are going to be willing to spend more than casual audiences, even if the price tag is a bit steeper than they would like. One of the most frequent complaints about the price is that it hits a bit too close to what it would cost to buy a gaming PC. The passionate PlayStation audience was probably never going to buy a gaming PC though, so it’s kind of a moot point.
Whether or not the PS5 Pro is worth the cost remains to be seen. From social media, it seems like those that have purchased the console are very happy with the upgrade. Since launch, players have been sharing screenshots and videos of what the system can do, and the results are impressive to say the least. Chances are, most PS5 owners aren’t willing to spend $700 (or more) on a graphic upgrade, but it seems the number that are willing to pay don’t regret their purchase.
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PS5 Pro’s price point does raise some interesting questions about the company’s next generation, though. While hardcore fans are willing to spend $700 on a mid-generation upgrade, it remains to be seen whether people will be willing to spend that kind of money on a PS6. We have no idea how much Sony’s next console will cost, but assuming it would have to be more powerful than PS5 Pro, it’s possible it would be at least the same price, if not more expensive. That would be significantly more than most new consoles generally cost at launch, and might be a barrier for more casual fans. Thankfully, we’ve got a long time to wait to see how that all plays out.
Are you willing to spend $699 on a PlayStation Pro? Would you have been more willing to do so at a lower price? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
