Noteable games analyst Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis expects the PS5 Pro’s sales to follow a very similar trend to those of the PS4 Pro, even with that rather high price tag.
Yesterday, Sony announced the long-rumoured digital-only PS5 Pro. This souped-up version of the PlayStation 5 will allow for Fidelity level graphics at Performance level frame rates, but it comes with a cost. When it goes on sale later this year, it will retail at £700 for those of us here in the UK. Another £100 is then required to purchase the separate disc drive with a further £25 to buy the vertical stand.
The price point differential between the original PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro is “between 40-50 percent”, Harding-Rolls noted, adding this is “significantly more than the differential between the PS4 and PS4 Pro” on its launch.
“In the US, the PS4 Pro launched at $399 and the slim PS4 was $299 at the time, a 33 percent differential,” Harding-Rolls said. “Additionally, the slim PS4 had a retail price of $299 having dropped from the original PS4 launch price of $399.”
Harding-Rolls stated Sony’s PS5 Pro pricing reflects the company’s “adjusted strategy to protect its margin, generally supply chain inflation and a lack of direct competitor to its mid-cycle upgrade compared to last generation”.
He noted Microsoft had its Xbox One X console geared up during the last console generation. However, as the PlayStation maker doesn’t have this same competition right now, “it is an easier decision for Sony to run with a higher price point to protect its existing margins” with the PS5 Pro.
“For most prospective PS5 consumers, the standard edition will represent the value sweet spot,” Harding-Rolls said.
Despite this, Ampere predicts “around 1.3m PS5 Pro consoles will be bought by consumers in the 2024 launch window”. In comparison, the PS4 Pro sold 1.7m units on its launch.
“We expect the price point to soften demand with some consumers, but for PlayStation enthusiasts the pricing is less of a consideration,” Harding-Rolls said. “According to Ampere data, over its life, the PS4 Pro sold-through 14.5m units, around 12 percent of total PS4 sales.”
Ampere is currently expecting the PS5 Pro to “sell-through around 13m units” come 2029.
“Sony’s PlayStation business is now more global than ever,” Harding-Rolls closed. “Eight years on from when the PS4 Pro came to market, PS5 is selling strongly in countries where there are increasing numbers of consumers with growing disposable income such as mainland China and Saudi Arabia. These markets represent a growing opportunity for PlayStation versus the PS4 generation.”
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Last night, Sony reportedly confirmed “about 40 or 50 or games” will get PS5 Pro upgrade patches when the console launches on 7th November.
So far, Sony has only officially named 13 games set to receive PS5 Pro upgrades on launch day, meaning there’s still plenty more to be shared.