Everyone expected the long-rumored PlayStation 5 Pro to be expensive, but its $700 price tag still came as a bit of a shock. Could a mid-generation refresh aimed mostly at boosting graphical detail really be worth almost double the cost of a used PS5?
In a new interview with IGN as part of an initial round of hands-on previews with press, PlayStation Senior Principal Product Manager Toshi Aoki made the case for Sony’s third-most expensive console ever. The console can cost as much as $800 if players want to get the optional disc drive and vertical stand, both of which are sold separately. Meanwhile, a refurbished all-digital PS5 slim sold directly from Sony is just $350. Aoki rattled off the PS5 Pro’s improvements over the existing model to make its case.
“Well, the technologies that I just mentioned that we are putting in to deliver new experiences for game players, and also not just the technological differences, but the SSD, the Wi-Fi 7, and the new technologies that surround the gameplay as well,” he said. “So it’s more of a full package that will give that exceptional value to the players…the most engaged players that we’re targeting.”
Those “most engaged players” are seemingly a nod to the hardcore PlayStation fanbase who has already demonstrated not just a willingness to upgrade last console generation with the PS4 Pro, but also invest in pricey add-on accessories this time around with $100 headphones, a $200 DualSense Edge, and the remote play-only $200 PS Portal handheld. Aoki also said that not including a disc drive in the box was aimed at giving players “choices.”
“For the disc drive, it is an option for players,” he told IGN. “Not all players have discs, even though most players may…but we have the option for being able to add that for those players. So I think it’s more of the balance of the value proposition that we’re giving.”
I’m not sure if other players will feel the same. While Sony would no doubt prefer more fans buy their games digitally, first-part PlayStation games are among those that still sell lots of physical discs. Those most likely to want to upgrade to a PS5 Pro will probably overlap a lot with those who have large physical collections from the PS4 and PS5-eras.
All of those games, regardless of whether they get special enhanced updates, are supposed to run better on the PS5 Pro thanks to its boost mode. For those players spending $80 separately on a detachable disc drive probably won’t feel like much of a “choice.”