The PS5 Pro Has PlayStation Fans Up In Arms

Fans first learned about the PlayStation 5 Pro from some leaks in 2023, but now Sony has given us an official look at its newest console. Unfortunately for the company, responses seem to range from apathetic to frustrated. In a nine-minute presentation on the PlayStation YouTube channel, Sony pulled back the curtain on the PlayStation 5 Pro. PS5 architect Mark Cerny revealed that the new system will feature a better graphics card, advanced ray tracing capabilities, and new AI upscaling tech called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, which will make players' current games look even prettier. With the new hardware and software upgrades, Sony says the PS5 Pro can run games at fidelity-mode quality while maintaining 60 FPS.

That on its own is a pretty nifty prospect, but it might not be the major console-selling point that Sony needs it to be. Fans don't seem to be overjoyed by this bit of news, especially because the PS5 Pro is currently priced at a whopping $700 — not including the stand or the external disc-drive. Judging by the way fans are reacting online, there may not be a ton of people rushing out to the store when the PS5 Pro comes out on Nov. 7, 2024.

So far, there doesn't seem to be much hype for the PS5 Pro. Surprisingly, a number of fans aren't quite so interested in the graphics performance that Sony is trying to sell them.

Man, PS5 Pro is gonna be a hard sell I think. PS4 Pro had the noticeable jump to 4K and HDR over base PS4. Here, the PS5 Pro basically says "your 60fps performance mode will look slightly better!" And y'all know I'm the biggest visual sicko, but it's just like, yeah, okay I guess pic.twitter.com/CXtkFmDcGz

— fromsoftserve (@fromsoftserve) September 10, 2024

Some have argued that the tech demo seen on the PlayStation YouTube channel only seems to show an incremental difference between the PS5 and the PS5 Pro, as opposed to the larger jump from the PS4 to the PS4 Pro.

PS5 Pro is giving "iPhone yearly upgrade" where it's not a dramatic difference from the old product...

— 𝔈𝔐𝔄𝔑 (@EyesBeyondLife) September 10, 2024

Others are even comparing the new console to new phone models, and that's not a great metaphor for Sony. And to be fair, the changes introduced by the PS5 Pro might be more exciting to fans if the price of the console wasn't so high. As some fans have pointed out, that used to be equal to a month's rent.

$700 is an insane price. And that's before even accounting for the lack of a disc-drive upon initial purchase.

I was never going to get the PS5 Pro anyways, but my god, that price is horrendous. https://t.co/qs1BPfQtrd

— Ryan (@Jumpman_Ryan_) September 10, 2024

$700 is pretty steep, and physical game collectors are also put off by the prospect of having to drop even more money for an external disc drive to play games they already own. Plus, you have to remember that getting a stand for the console is another extra cost. On top of these factors, gamers outside of the United States are also noticing that Sony's done something a little strange with the price of the PS5 Pro across the world.

why is the PS5 Pro $700 but €800, that is not how exchange rates work

— Shal Ricotez (@Ricotez) September 10, 2024

The uneven pricing is being seen as another strike against the new system. Fans have plenty of small complaints about the PS5 Pro, but they'd probably be willing to set all those issues aside if Sony would just give them the things they actually want.

We all knew that Sony's presentation was focused on something technical, but PlayStation fans were still quietly hoping that the company would slip in a new game announcement. The disappointment they're feeling is palpable.

At $700 the new PS5 pro is kind of a let down...especially given that no new titles were shown. And existing ones – who cares if the stadium audience in Ratchet and Clank looks a little sharper? People prefer "performance" mode for a reason...

— Vook (@AndresJanson) September 10, 2024

It seems that Sony needs more games to convince people to buy a new console, or at least a promise of backwards compatibility, which still eludes fans of the company. In the aftermath of the announcement, fans are loudly calling out the problems with the PS5's catalog, which still pales in comparison to that of the PS4 when it was a few years in. When you factor in paying for online play and access to the PlayStation back catalog, the numbers on the PS5 Pro really start adding up.

$700 for a PS5 Pro? This console has a GARBAGE game library. It's certainly no Nintendo Switch game library. Anyone who spends $700 on this console is an absolute IDIOT.

— JD (A Florida Man) (@SomeGuyFromCNY) September 10, 2024

The biggest selling point for a console are the exclusives, and currently there are fewer than two dozen PS5 exclusives. That's if you include remasters. In fact, the PS5 roster just got a little smaller because Sony canceled "Concord" after it bombed on release. Other exclusives like "Helldivers 2" are bleeding players, and even though something like "Astro's Playroom" has gotten fans excited, it's not enough to encourage players to spend nearly a grand on a new system. Maybe the PS5 Pro will take off down the line, but right now the lackluster game library is going to hold the console back.