PS5 Pro’s $700 Price Stuns the Internet – Is It Worth the Hefty Price Tag?

Sony’s unveiling of the PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro) during the much-anticipated PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation has left the gaming world stunned—though not entirely for the reasons Sony hoped. While the upgraded console offers significant improvements, like better ray tracing and AI-driven upscaling, the steep $700 price point has sparked outrage across social media and gaming forums.

A Price That Hits Hard

One of the most jarring aspects of the announcement is the price. Coming in at $699.99 in the U.S. (or the equivalent of €799.99 in Europe), the PS5 Pro’s pricing feels like a throwback to the PlayStation 3’s disastrous $600 launch. Many fans expected the Pro model to come at a premium, but not this premium. And let’s not forget, it doesn’t even come with a disc drive! Want to stand your PS5 Pro up? That’ll cost you extra too, as the vertical stand is sold separately.

Some gamers have already crunched the numbers. If you add the disc drive and stand, you’re looking at a total of over $800 just to get a complete setup. One Reddit user vented, “Why am I paying more for something that gives me less?” Another chimed in, calling the pricing “a wallet-crusher.”

The Internet Reacts: Déjà Vu All Over Again

It didn’t take long for the internet to draw comparisons between the PS5 Pro’s price and the ill-fated launch of the PlayStation 3. The PS3’s hefty price tag at launch led to major backlash, and now, the PS5 Pro seems to be stepping on the same landmine.

On X (formerly Twitter), gaming fans and meme lords alike pointed out how history seems to be repeating itself. One viral tweet read, “First, $600 for a PS3 in 2006. Now $700 for a PS5 Pro in 2024. What’s next, $1000 for the PS6?”​.

Polls run by gaming sites like IGN showed overwhelming negative sentiment toward purchasing the new console. Over 80% of respondents indicated they had no plans to buy the PS5 Pro, citing the steep price as the primary deterrent. One commenter wrote, “At this point, I’ll just wait for the PS6—or at least a price drop.”

Not Just an American Issue: Global Price Shock

Americans weren’t the only ones taken aback by the pricing. Gamers across Europe and Japan also expressed their disbelief. In Japan, the PS5 Pro’s cost in yen reached ¥119,980, prompting the term “ps5 12万円” to trend on social media, with players lamenting how unattainable the console feels​.

“I was saving up to get my kid a PS5 Pro for Christmas,” one Japanese fan tweeted, “but now I think I’ll just stick with his PS4 Pro. The Pro in the name should mean prohibitive, not professional!”

A Premium Console with a Premium Price

But while fans complain, industry analysts are a little more understanding. Piers Harding-Rolls, a tech analyst, explains that the PS5 Pro represents a 40-50% price premium over the Slim PS5. “This is typical for mid-generation upgrades, especially when you consider the technology improvements packed into the new system.”

What are these improvements? For starters, the PS5 Pro boasts 67% more Compute Units (CUs), making it an absolute beast in terms of raw power​. On top of that, it’s 28% faster thanks to improved memory, allowing for a 45% increase in rendering speed. These technical gains are nothing to scoff at, especially for hardcore gamers who demand the best possible performance for next-gen titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Spider-Man 2.

PS5 Pro: Sony pulls its ‘Pro’ strategy lever to engage PlayStation enthusiasts

PS5 Pro will launch globally on Nov 7th at a price point of $699 in the US, €799 across Europe, £699.99 in the UK and ¥119,980 in Japan. This is a 40-50% premium on the slim PS5 #PS5Pro 🧵 pic.twitter.com/yKPUScJIwU

— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) September 10, 2024

However, one question looms large: are these improvements worth the steep price? Many fans feel that the visual leap between the PS5 and PS5 Pro isn’t as drastic as previous generational upgrades. One player commented, “Sure, it’s faster, but I’m not sure the graphics are enough of a jump to justify the $700.” Another fan echoed the sentiment: “It feels like Sony is asking for a premium price on an incremental upgrade.”

A hot topic of debate revolves around the exclusion of a disc drive. Sony’s decision to make the PS5 Pro a digital-only console with the option to purchase a disc drive separately has left many scratching their heads. Some fans feel this is a sneaky way to push more people toward the digital-only future Sony seems to be envisioning.

Gaming on a Budget: Alternatives and the Future

For those who can’t stomach the PS5 Pro’s price, there’s always the option of sticking with the base model or waiting for a sale. However, some analysts like Mat Piscatella predict that the PS6 could follow a similar trajectory, with no physical media drive at all, leaving this price trend as a potential new normal for future console generations​.

Sony’s pricing strategy isn’t unique to the PS5 Pro either. We’ve seen recent price hikes in other areas of PlayStation’s ecosystem, including controllers like the DualSense, which jumped from $69.99 to $74.99​. Daniel Ahmad, another industry expert, explains that production and shipping costs haven’t decreased as they have in previous generations, forcing companies to maintain or even increase prices.

Is It Worth the Price?

In the end, the PS5 Pro is a technical marvel, but its price may make it inaccessible for many. Whether or not the upgrade is worth it depends on how much you value ray tracing and higher frame rates, and whether you’re willing to pay a premium for slightly better performance​.

So, is it worth the price tag? Well, if you have $700 burning a hole in your pocket and want to future-proof your gaming experience, the PS5 Pro could be the console for you. But if you’re like many fans online, you might want to sit this one out—or at least wait for the inevitable price drop.

Pre-orders start on September 26, 2024, so if you’re one of the brave few ready to splurge, mark your calendar.