Despite the hefty price tag of the finally-announced half-generation update to the PlayStation 5, one analyst thinks it won’t sell too badly.
According to Ampere Analysis, Sony will sell 13 million units of the PlayStation 5 Pro by 2029, which we’ve covered in more detail here. According to the firm, Ampere estimates that the console will sell about 1.3 million units in its launch period from its November release, which is slightly lower than the PlayStation 4 Pro’s initial 2016 results of 1.7 million. The PlayStation 4 Pro ended up selling 14.5 million units, accounting for about 12% of PlayStation 4 sales, and Ampere is hoping for a similar percentage. Piers Harding-Rolls, research director for games at Ampere Analysis, elaborated:
“The price point of the PlayStation 5 Pro will inevitably generate a lot of comment. The price difference between the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 5 Pro is between 40% and 50%, which is significantly higher than the price difference between the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 4 Pro at launch. In the US, the PS4 Pro launched at $399 and the slim PS4 at $299, a difference of 33%. Additionally, the slim PS4 had a retail price of $299 after dropping from the original PS4 launch price of $399.
We expect the price point to dampen demand among some consumers, but for PlayStation enthusiasts, pricing is less of a consideration. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s pricing reflects Sony’s adjusted strategy to protect its margin, general supply chain inflation, and the lack of direct competition for its mid-cycle upgrade compared to the last generation (when Microsoft was preparing the Xbox One X). The lack of competition means it is an easier decision for Sony to run with a higher price point to protect its existing margins. For most potential PlayStation 5 consumers, the standard edition will represent the value sweet spot,” said Piers Harding-Rolls.
Mark Cerny, the PlayStation 5 Pro’s “internal architect,” confirmed to CNET that the console’s more powerful GPU will also benefit PlayStation VR2 games, as they will have a higher resolution, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, the AI-based upscaling technology, will also be supported on the VR headset in the future. Currently, none of its games have been announced to receive a PlayStation 5 Pro patch.
However, we can list the titles that will be supported on PlayStation 5 Pro: Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls Remake, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
PlayStation 5 Pro will be available from November 7th for $700/€800 (and that doesn’t even include the Blu-ray drive or the vertical stand… both sold separately).
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