Let me tell you a secret. This morning I wrote an outline of my reaction to Sony’s yet-to-be-announced PS5 Pro announcement, including my desire to pre-order it. I felt like I knew exactly what was going to happen. In many ways I was right. I was wrong in one major way. Below is the article, but now with added background information about the PS5 Pro launch price.
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Sony just announced the long-rumored PS5 Pro. It feels like we knew about the console before the PS5 launched, a machine that was supposed to make up for the current PS5 (which, if you can believe it, has been out for four years) and Inevitable PS6 – Just like the PS4 did before the PS5.
Yes, after watching PS5 chief architect Mark Cerny’s nine-minute presentation, it appears the same will be true for the PS5 Pro. However, it doesn’t feel as desirable as the PS4 Pro at the time, so why would I pre-order it? I honestly don’t know.
Note 1: I did not pre-order PS5 Pro. Pre-orders open on September 26, with the PS5 Pro priced at £700 without a disc drive. That costs more.
Game consoles were stationary machines, so what were once technologically powerful things (or at least respectable If you see this kind of mockery from behind, your juggernaut PC will quickly become obsolete. It’s not obvious since game developers tend to take full advantage of consoles, but if you take a look at how gaming has evolved in the high-end PC world, well, let’s just say that console gamers are at least a generation behind.
PS5 Pro, a rather niche hardware for hardcore gamers (Note 2: £700 niche) to those willing to pay (Note 3: Probably not that many) It’s a console that doesn’t feel like it’s behind the curve of gaming. So the question I ask myself (and you may also want to know) is: Do I need this?
Note 4: You can stop here. I have no idea. Unless I want to accept my wife’s request for divorce.
“Need” is an awkward word when it comes to justifying a purchase. Look around you and you may find that you don’t need Most of the stuff on your desk, let alone your house or apartment. So, no, I don’t need a PS5 Pro. I need to get the necessary nutrients from food, a place to sleep, etc. Maybe “want” is a better word. But why should I buy a PS5 Pro now that I already have a PS5?
Note 5: Because I have £700 in my wallet? I have no idea.
The PS4 Pro is indeed an easy sell. I just bought a new 4K TV, and God of War received a 4K update, which makes sense to me considering I spend most of my gaming time on PS4. The PS5 Pro enters a completely different world, at least for me. Both my PS5 and Xbox Series Makes me feel like it’s been phased out. What games should I play on this new console so that I don’t regret handing it over? [insert price]?
Note 6: For £700, it would probably take a miraculous run to not cause huge regrets, to be honest.
I predict a big factor in my rush to book was FOMO (Note 7: I didn’t pre-order. See earlier about pre-order dates and the frankly shocking £700 price tag for fear of missing out.) A lot of games I’ve played lately have suffered visually in some way, but that’s fine because everyone is in the same boat. Alan Wake 2 looks much better at 30 FPS, but plays much smoother at 60 FPS. The clarity of the image is greatly affected. If these issues are fixed on the PS5 Pro, and I don’t have a PS5 Pro, I know I can get a better experience and the FOMO will happen.
Note 8: Alan Wake 2 has been shown off and the update seems to be doing exactly what I asked for. But £700.
[More here on actual tech improvements]
Note 9: PS5 Pro uses AI upgrades to make games sharper, deliver better frame rates than PS5, and allow developers to take better advantage of ray tracing. That’s all well and good, but is £700 not bad either?
Let’s face it. I enjoy new things even though I know they are unlikely to be used. Today I’ve pre-ordered The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a game I doubt I’ll actually play for a few months but don’t want to miss out on the conversation surrounding it (as I just said, I probably still will) . I was just about to pre-order another retro handheld device (the Retroid Pocket 5) this morning, but I managed to talk myself out of it. I also have an Anbernic RG35XX H portable fully set up and usable, and my PS Portal and PS VR2 sit next to me, each covered in a visible layer of dust. Hell, I haven’t even opened my Steam Deck in two weeks.
Note 10: It didn’t actually take much to convince me that I didn’t want to pre-order a PS5. The price is only £700.
Reason isn’t always the deciding factor when it comes to buying a new console. At some point in the early 2000s, I bought multiple Nintendo GameCubes to get different colors (Note 11: I could have bought five little GameCubes for £700).
I think the PS5 Pro has more legitimate appeal than those, but I guess time will tell. Who could be scared when I play Wolverine in 2025 and his claws reflect the entire game world (when you turn on photo mode and zoom in at angles you’ll never be able to do during gameplay)? not me (Note 12: It was actually me as I didn’t spend the £700). Absolutely not. (Note 13: Absolutely) I spent 15 hours with it before going back to anything on Xbox Game Pass. Money well spent. Well done, me. you farmers (Note 14: Me and others) Only visible on regular PS5 near The area is reflected on his paws. That’s it for 2020!
(Note 15: Look, I thought it was going to be £500 or something.)
The PS5 Pro console will be available this holiday season with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699.99, £699.99, €799.99 and 119,980 yen (tax included). It will include a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed with every PS5 Pro purchased. PS5 Pro is available as a disc-less console, with the option to purchase the currently available PS5 disc drive separately.
PS5 Pro will launch on November 7in 2024, and will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation. Pre-orders will begin on September 26, 2024.