The problem with PS5 Pro isn't the price tag | Opinion
Every month on GamesIndustry.biz we publish data on the accessories market.
It's part of our monthly charts reports. Now, these figures don't really get picked up elsewhere. Most other media outlets seem primarily interested in how the games are performing or which console is currently on top. But it's there, every month. And there is some fascinating insight to be gleaned from these numbers.
For one, did you know that PlayStation Portal – the handheld device that people can stream PS5 games to (within the home) – is the No.1 accessory by revenue this year? Or that 2024's second most financially successful controller (in the UK) is the DualSense Edge, despite costing over £200?
Sony knows this. It knows all about its hyper-engaged fans who want the best experience possible. It knows what they can afford and what they care about. And it knows this group will be salivating at the prospect of a PS5 Pro.
That's what the new Pro model is all about. It's not about tackling some of the bigger issues facing the PS5 right now. It's not about convincing all those Nintendo Switch and PS4 players to upgrade machines. Those are groups of players who couldn't care less about AI-driven upscaling or advanced ray tracing.
The reality is manufacturing costs are much higher than they used to be, and the industry is no longer in a place where it can do aggressive loss-leading activity on hardware. Margin is important in 2024
A $700 PS5 Pro is not Sony's big play at driving a bigger install base for its hardware. It might help a bit, but really this is a high-end device for the platform's most enthusiastic fans. That's it.
Yet if you listened to a lot of the commentary after yesterday's news, and based on the messages that came in to GI, you'd have thought Sony had just made some disastrous, consumer-hating faux pas.
Granted, if PS5 Pro had a competitor, maybe Sony would have felt the need to go a bit lower on the price. But the reality is manufacturing costs are much higher than they used to
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