With its exorbitantly priced PS5 Pro, Sony has gone completely crazy (editorial)

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That's it, the PS5 Pro is official, and with its announcement, we wonder if Sony has not officially gone crazy. The console will arrive on November 7, 2024, which should have delighted PlayStation fans. However, one detail spoils the party: its price. At 799 euros, Sony is crossing a red line and venturing into unknown territory. This risky decision could well mark a turning point in the history of home consoles.

HOW MUCH ?

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Let's talk about it, of this price. 799 euros. Let me repeat it: SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE EUROS. For a games console sold without a CD player. Has Sony lost its mind ? A price that has lost all decency. The standard PS5, already criticized for its high price when it came out, suddenly seemed like a bargain with its 550 euros.

It must be said that Sony thinks it is sending a dream with its presentation where 3 major improvements were reported. A pumped-up GPU, next-gen ray tracing, AI upscaling… But aside from improved graphics and framerate, it must be said that these new features with minimal impact on the player clearly do not justify such a price. In a tense economic context, where inflation is eating away at household purchasing power, Sony is taking a risky gamble on video game luxury.

The Japanese beat the American

© Sony/© Microsoft

This aggressive pricing strategy reveals a disturbing reality that was already emerging at the time PS4: Sony feels untouchable. And for good reason, Microsoft, its main competitor, is floundering in the red numbers on the hardware side. The Xbox Series X, supposed to rival the PS5, is struggling to find its audience, to put it mildly. As for the Series S, it plays in another league, that of entry-level consoles.

Faced with this sluggish competition, Sony is allowing itself the luxury of setting its prices as it sees fit. The Japanese giant is taking advantage of its dominant position to push the limits of what the market is willing to accept. An arrogant attitude that could well backfire with this console at a completely outrageous price. PlayStation had already done this to us with its PS3 at a price of 600 euros 18 years ago, and had ended up with catastrophic sales figures at the time.

The Reds against the Blues

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Because if Sony reigns supreme in the segment of powerful consoles, it forgets the major player that This is Nintendo. With its “Switch 2” expected for 2025, the Kyoto firm could well stand out from the crowd. Faced with an overpriced PS5 Pro, Nintendo's new hybrid console could appear as an alternative that is certainly less powerful, but much more attractive for many players.

Nintendo has has always been able to deliver unique experiences at reasonable prices. The Switch 2 should be no exception. While Sony is betting everything on raw power and stunning graphics, Nintendo could seduce with a much cheaper console and equipped with a rich and varied game library.

Like a golf club blow on the players

© Sony

The risk for Sony is real. By setting the bar so high, the manufacturer is exposing itself to a potentially disastrous chain reaction. First, part of its fan base could turn away, put off by a price deemed excessive. Then, third-party developers could hesitate to optimize their games for a machine with uncertain sales. Finally, PlayStation's brand image could suffer, now associated with a certain video game elitism.

This pricing strategy also raises questions about the future of console gaming. Is Sony trying to position video games as a luxury leisure activity?? At 799 euros per console, not including the price of games and accessories, one can legitimately wonder. We must not forget that this PS5 Pro is sold without a reader, which requires a significant addition of 120 euros to the already steep bill, for fans of the physical format.

Certainly, the PS5 Pro promises impressive graphics, but doesn't the standard PS5 already provide such a solution ? The importance for the publisher would therefore be to provide more games on its current console. The PS5 certainly has some masterpieces, but its catalog is still relatively thin after so many years of existence.

With this kind of price, Sony may even be competing with itself. It's a safe bet that many players will settle for the standard PS5, without wanting to spend 370 euros more for an experience that is so little different. It's time for the Japanese firm to come back down to earth. The success of the PS5 must not make us forget the lessons of the past.

There's still time for Sony to rethink its strategy. A price drop before launch, or aggressive promotional offers could soften the blow. But the damage may already be done. The image of an elitist PlayStation disconnected from economic realities risks sticking to the manufacturer's skin for a long time.

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