Rumor: Sony plans to launch the PS5 and PS5 Pro at the same time.

[KBG29]

Random_Matt said:
Buy a PS5 and PC, about time consoles stopped trying to be a super computer.

shikamaru317 said:

This would be a curious move considering that MS supposedly dropped their budget model Lockhart, due to concerns that it would hold back game development with it's lower specs. The only way this would work is if the standard PS5 is as powerful as Xbox Anaconda, then having 2 PS5 models wouldn't hold back game development. But since Anaconda and standard PS5 will most likely cost $500 based on the rumored specs, PS5 Pro would likely need to cost $700 or more in order to be a noteworthy upgrade over standard PS5, and I just don't know how much of a market there would be for a console at those prices, most people with that kind of extra money lying around gravitate toward PC gaming instead.

First off, responding to both of you. Not everyone that wants a high end gaming experience wants the PC experience. There are millions out there that will spend PC prices for the user experience of a console. Having a Unified Controller, Store, Online Network, and Trophy system, amoung other things across all Games, Software, and Services is a big draw for a lot of people. 

shikamaru317, you are correct that the base model needs to hold its own, and that is why this would work over what Microsoft was rumored to be planning. In this case the $499.99 Base PS4 would be a perfectly suitable console for 90% of PlayStation fans. The Pro would be best sold at an massive Premium like we see with Enthusiast level TVs, Recievers, Phones, Speakers, etc., most consumers buy low or mid range products, the enthusiasts are the only ones that buy the high margin products.

Otter said:

KBG29 said:

The whole point of Pro being $999.99 would be to specifically aim it at the Enthusiast gamers. You put it out of the relm of reasonable, to the point where the 90% won't even consider it. Just like people are fine buying a $2,000 4K HDR TV when there are $10,000 models available, most gamers would be perfectly happy buying the base PS5 for $499.99, and letting the enthusiasts dump their money into the $999.99 model.

When you are talking about the Enthusiast level consumer, they don't care about every peice of content delivering the best that their product can offer. This is often the case in Audio and Video, it takes years before even half the content starts to take advanatage of new tech. 

At the end of the day the Enthusiast PlayStation Gamer, will be perfectly happy with all SIEWWS games pushing the Pro to its max, with a small portion of 3rd party titles utilizing the power of the system. 

Something like a $399.99/$599.99 Base/Pro makes little sense. The Pro should be a truly Premium Product aimed at the Enthusiast Console Gamer. It shouldn't be a half baked effort with the Pro name slapped on it like we saw with the current PS4 Pro. Sony has been offering Enthusiast level products in every other catagory of products they produce. It is time that their most popular, and most profitable products offer the fan base a true enthusiast level piece of tech.

This would be horrible marketing for the Playstation brand, particularly at launch. Maybe they could try this sort of thing once PS5 establishes itself but otherwise its launch will be met with hysteria surrounding the $999 version which would dominate the mind of consumers even if there is a cheaper option. Since the vast majority of people would only consider the cheaper option, the preimum at launch would also create a sense of discontent in consumers who feel like there're missing something. Better to just market the base system as the cutting edge technology of 2020 and everyone is happy. The console business cannot directly be compared to sonys other product, sony are selling dozens of TVs per year, consumers understand how differentiation works there, its expected. In the console space they're selling one or 2 core products for which branding has to be managed very delicately.

What microsoft done with the Xbox One X is essentially the right way to go about things. A $999 system would probably never make business sense because developers aren't going to utilise those specs beyond bumping up a few features and consumers have limited options in terms of peak resolution and performance. Essentially 4k/60fps is upper limits of what people care about, beyond that you're delving into niches that is not worth Sony's investment. They could pour that money into almost anything else and it would probably generate bigger returns.

A system optimised around ray tracing could make for a great premium device but doing that right means waiting for effective hardware solutions, otherwise sony releases a $999 system to support raytracing at 4k and then 3 years later GPU's are doing twice a better job at half the price. 

It is not that hard to sell this. If they price it right, they will put it out of the mind of the 90% of the audience. That is how every other product works. You offer improvements that matter to the 10%, and price it in a range that the 90% don't see the value in the minor improvements, and won't even take a second look. If the Pro is priced high enough, the focus will be around excitement for the Base PS5, while only the enthusiast gamers will even pay attention to the Pro.

Additionally, again, if they played this move correct, the Pro would be sold at a healthy profit margin. PS5 Base may cost $450 and sell for $499.99, while PS5 Pro would be something like $850 to build, and sell for $999.99. That is how business works with Enthusiast level products, with low sales volumes. This also gives them breathing room if they overestimate the demand for such a unit. If all goes well the make good profits on each one, if they are not selling what they produce, there is plenty of room to drop the price, and continue to profit on the unit, and spur more interest.

As for tech advanacing. That is always the case. The person going in to spend $999.99 on a console day one, or $10,000 on a Television, knows that in 2 or 3 years, a product that outperforms what they are buying will be available for less than what they are paying today. That is not an issue for this demographic. These are the people that will by the PS5 Pro X or whatever in 2023 that is another $999.99 investment. Why, because it offers the absolute best in console gaming, and they want to have the cutting edge experience.