Summary
- A PS5 Pro may release this year, but major franchise games won't release alongside it.
- The PS5 library doesn't incentivize stronger hardware like the PS4's did.
- A PS5 Pro releasing one year after the Slim will run into problems with pricing and marketing.
The Slim model trimmed the size and unified the disc-based and digital versions of the console, making the disc drive a modular component that requires an initial online activation.
A PlayStation 5 Pro has been generally expected to come at some point ever since the system was introduced, as last generation's PS4 Pro helped boost sales of the system well after its initial launch. The Pro version wasn't enough of a hardware overhaul to warrant a new generation, but it made it possible to play many games at higher frame rates or resolutions. The basic dynamic between the PS5 and PS5 Pro should be more or less the same, although it should now be possible to push more games to intense targets like 4K 60FPS or 1080p 120 FPS.
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The PS5 Pro Isn't Launching With Any Major New Games
Sony Doesn't Have Major Franchise Titles For 2024
As reported by CNBC, industry analysts expect that a PlayStation 5 Pro will release this year, partly thanks to a decreased projection for 2024 sales in Sony's latest financial report. Polygon reported on another key piece of information from the same document: Sony doesn't "plan to release any new major existing franchise titles next fiscal year." This doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be any exciting new game announcements, as Sony didn't exclude the possibility of new IPs or third-party offerings, but the lull in franchise entries could still be a disappointment for many.
This statement seems particularly problematic when considering the release of a PlayStation 5 Pro within that window, as that means that anyone looking to buy a Pro isn't likely to have a huge new exclusive to incentivize the purchase. It could still provide a graphical or performance boost to recent hits like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but that doesn't make a particularly strong case for an upgrade. The PlayStation 4 Pro launched within the same fiscal year as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Ratchet & Clank, and the then-new IP Horizon Zero Dawn, which gave potential buyers a lot of encouragement.
The PlayStation 5 Doesn't Have Many "Next-Gen" Titles
Sony Has Focused On Cross-Gen Titles & Remasters
Even looking at the broader view of the PlayStation 5 to date, it's hard to argue that Sony has built up a library of offerings that incentivize stronger hardware as much as the PS4's selection did at the time of the Pro. Most of the biggest Sony exclusives on the PS5 haven't been truly exclusive to the current generation, and even those that have tend to have strong performance on the base model. For some owners, the PS5 already might feel more like a souped-up PS4 Pro than a true step forward, which makes the PS5 Pro a perfunctory addition.
Going back to the launch of the PS5, one of the biggest exclusive titles was Demon's Souls, a remake of a PS3 game that had held up well to begin with. Even a couple of years into the system's lifespan, major attractions like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are attractive exclusives, it feels like the ball has only started to get rolling halfway through the system's lifespan.
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The limited library overall can make things a hard sell for those who haven't yet bought a PS5, but it's especially problematic when considering an upgrade from the basic version of the console. Cross-generation games already run with bells and whistles added on the PS5, and an additional boost in performance or graphics on a Pro starts to hit a point of diminishing returns. Yes, it would be nice to add more ray-tracing effects or up the frame rate yet again, but it's a minor proposition compared to the PS4, where some major titles were struggling to hit 1080p 30FPS targets.
The PlayStation 5 Slim Hasn't Had Any Time To Breathe
The PS5 Pro Doesn't Work With The Slim's Pricing Model
A 2024 launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro also follows up on the PS5 Slim fairly quickly, and not under the same conditions that helped make the PS4 Pro a success. At the time, the Slim and Pro were revealed simultaneously, with the Slim representing a budget model of $299.99 and the Pro taking over the PS4's original MSRP of $399.99. The PlayStation 5, on the other hand, has stuck resolutely to its original pricing scheme of $499.99 for the disc-based version, and the digital edition actually increased in price with the slim, with a 50 dollar bump to $449.99.
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Going into a PlayStation 5 Pro for the next holiday season, there's no good way to reconcile the transition from the PS5 Slim as the face of the console. Permanently dropping the Slim's price would make it seem like the Slim only existed to rustle up extra cash right before introducing the Pro, while maintaining the current pricing scheme would make the Pro likely to debut at a prohibitively expensive $599.99. Spacing the two systems apart by more than a year or releasing them simultaneously would both have been better options, and the current approach will likely generate backlash.
From any angle, it just doesn't seem like the market is as primed for a PS5 Pro as it was for the PS4 equivalent, and it's hard to imagine that the refresh will be a hit in the same way as the standard PS5. The system fails to particularly justify its existence, especially when a PS6 can be expected in a few more years. The PlayStation 5 Pro might be great hardware, but the groundwork necessary to ensure its success hasn't been laid very well in time for the window of its reported release.
- Brand
- Sony
- Original Release Date
- November 19, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
- Weight
- Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg
The fifth flagship video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment, the PlayStation 5, is a part of the ninth generation of consoles. The console features full backwards compatibility with PlayStation 4 games and features a digital storefront that gives access to older generations. The console can output images at 4K resolution, with alternative options including 1440p at 120 frames per second for gameplay. This console is also known for implementing 3D audio, which allows headphones to be connected to the console for simulated spatially accurate audio.
