The long wait is over: we now know what the PS5 Pro looks like, what it does, and what it will cost. So far it’s not going over too well.
First let’s take a look. We knew based on leaks that the mid-generation refresh wouldn’t be reinventing the wheel of the PS5’s industrial design, but it’s not helping win over any skeptics. What the console does is also not quickly blowing fans away. While playing new PS5 games with high visual fidelity and high framerates sounds great, it’s hard to show that off over a compressed YouTube livestream, especially when Sony is only showing old games, including some that were also on PS4.
Then there’s the price. $US700 is a lot, especially with no disc drive included. Those are sold separately for $US80. So if you already have a vast collection of PS4 and PS5 games on disc, you’re looking at forking over closer to $US800 to see the background characters in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart appear more detailed, or your paint job glisten in the opposing cars as your drift by in Gran Turismo 7.
Here’s how fans, skeptics, and haters alike are currently reacting to the PS5 Pro reveal:
The PS5 Pro’s initial unveiling turned heads in all the wrong ways, but it might look more appealing once the next round of big-budget blockbusters arrives, especially Grand Theft Auto VI. Fans might not care about compromises for older Sony exclusives at this point, but any increase in the performance of high-end open world games expected to be some of the defining releases of this console generation is a different proposition entirely. GTA 6 won’t be on PC at launch, and it’s very possible a PS5 Pro might end up being the only way to play it with a stable framerate above 30fps.
Time will tell. For now, we’ll see if the prices for the PS5 family of gaming hardware and accessories ever gets cheaper, or this is the dawn of a new era where console gaming is just as pricy as PC gaming but with fewer options.
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