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Digital Foundry - Do we actually need a PS5 Pro?

The enthusiast market is tiny so you're never going to see a $700 console, never mind a $1000+ one (unless Apple decides to enter the market).

You want state-of-the-art tech, buy a gaming PC and choose how much power you want.

Markets change. How many people bought 1000-dollar smartphones?

I think if they can deliver 4K60 at pro and the base units run at 4K30 and 1440p60, it'll deliver the high end games people are looking for.
 
Facts. The answer is we don't.

Do we really need someone to freeze and zoom in 40x and nitpick the smallest things that you never experience in the act of playing a game.
Yes exactly a couple of frames difference at some point in gameplay and a couple of resolution difference really make no difference in your gaming experience especially if you have to zoom in 400x to even see it lol
 
Yes exactly a couple of frames difference at some point in gameplay and a couple of resolution difference really make no difference in your gaming experience especially if you have to zoom in 400x to even see it lol

It’s a good thing these systems are so close but it’s also a bad thing because it makes comparisons really nit picky.
 
Yes exactly a couple of frames difference at some point in gameplay and a couple of resolution difference really make no difference in your gaming experience especially if you have to zoom in 400x to even see it lol
Honestly, I watch them from time to time, but I'm really starting to hate them. They're beyond cocky and egotistical.

A PS5 Pro actually makes their job harder because there is less to nitpick.
 
The reality is that Sony just needs to focus on a simple formula.

Put out a system that has a higher margin than the current PS5 and it doesn't really matter how well it sells. Ultimately you're increasing your margin on people who were already going to buy the PS5 but might get this instead or instead of buying a gaming rig might buy this instead. Is this cheaper than putting together a gaming rig and the answer is still going to be yes, but the output might be much more comparable.

Even if there is a recession it doesn't matter. If anything this is better in a recession because if sales dry up if they're able to sell even a small percentage of these instead of PS5s the margin on them will be better.

A Ps5 slim is obvious.
 

Jaybe

Member
Sony and Xbox want to be like Apple, new devices to upgrade or buy the latest version of. This keeps people in the ecosystem, avoiding temptation to switch to PC or the other consoles, and eats up consumer spend on their products that could go elsewhere.
 

Hezekiah

Banned
yeah totally, it's not like equivalently expensive gaming PCs sell better than ever...
they would sell millions of them, maybe not tens of millions, but still millions

Markets change. How many people bought 1000-dollar smartphones?

I think if they can deliver 4K60 at pro and the base units run at 4K30 and 1440p60, it'll deliver the high end games people are looking for.
A €1300 console. There is zero evidence that people would buy a console more than twice as expensive as any mainstream console ever released.

The type of people who are fixated on hardware and power will simply buy a PC.

incidentally, in case you're not aware PCs can carry out many more functions than a games console can...

...as do smartphones, which are everyday tech, not a luxury item like a console is.

You guys are off your rocker if you think such an expensive console would sell to anything other than a tiny, niche audience 😁
 
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A €1300 console. There is zero evidence that people would buy a console more than twice as expensive as any mainstream console ever released.

The type of people who are fixated on hardware and power will simply buy a PC.

incidentally, in case you're not aware PCs can carry out many more functions than a games console can...

...as do smartphones, which are everyday tech, not a luxury item like a console is.

You guys are off your rocker if you think such an expensive console would sell to anything other than a tiny, niche audience 😁


People buy 3000 dollar tvs and the same people would drop 1000 on a game system.

Look at the 4k bluray player that people consider top in line in the industry the ub820. Will run you 400-500 dollars and people buy it.

As long as it isn't a loss leader, not sure why it would matter exactly how niche it is.
 

01011001

Banned
A €1300 console. There is zero evidence that people would buy a console more than twice as expensive as any mainstream console ever released.

scalpers during the PS5 launch completely dismantle that argument...
normal ass PS5s sold for more than 1000€
 
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MoreJRPG

Suffers from extreme PDS
If you want ray tracing at 60fps and a decent resolution a Pro version is a necessity. There’s still a lot of AAA games that aren’t 4K 60fps either. I would buy a pro in a second but unfortunately we’re 3-4 years out I think.
 
Sony and Xbox want to be like Apple, new devices to upgrade or buy the latest version of. This keeps people in the ecosystem, avoiding temptation to switch to PC or the other consoles, and eats up consumer spend on their products that could go elsewhere.

That is really the biggest selling point in backward compatibility, to keep people and their libraries loyal. Especially when those games are enhanced on new systems. It's why it is puzzling that sony hasn't done anything or announced anything for last guardian or bloodborne.
 

ANIMAL1975

Member
Last gen we got the Pro / One X refreshes because 4K became a big selling point mid-way through the generation, so you needed more horsepower to deliver that higher resolution. 4K is now the standard and 8K will not supplant it for many years (if ever, potentially). I just don't see as much justification for a Pro refresh this time round.

However, I can see them still doing a premium model which would explicitly target better quality ray tracing and more games at 120fps. The messaging of it will be a harder sell for Sony though. It won't be as easy to market as "Pro = 4K", especially since the console can already do ray tracing and 120fps in different circumstances.
It was because of Psvr too, if not the first reason, ps4 was just too much week for it. And now we have psvr2 just around the corner...

yes. PS5 is ENORMOUS and built to inhale dust. Not to mention it lights up the whole room and doesn't have quick resume
Shit, that's it _ we need a PS5 pro for quick resume!
 

Hezekiah

Banned
People buy 3000 dollar tvs and the same people would drop 1000 on a game system.

Look at the 4k bluray player that people consider top in line in the industry the ub820. Will run you 400-500 dollars and people buy it.

As long as it isn't a loss leader, not sure why it would matter exactly how niche it is.
How many people do you suppose are spending $3,000 on TVs, or $400 - $500 on Blu-ray players? How many do you think are gamers? Why do you think we've never seen anything like a ~$1,300 console in several decades of console gaming before?
scalpers during the PS5 launch completely dismantle that argument...
normal ass PS5s sold for more than 1000€
Dismantled lol

How many people people do you think paid a scalper €1,000 for their PS5?
 

Soapbox Killer

Grand Nagus
The question is premature. We need to see the best of what the gen can offer and we are not close.

The Matrix Awakens and Hellblade 2 tell me naw, we good. Once I see the PC outclass current gen by such a margin that the gameplay is hampered...


Even then, I just buy an proprietary eGPU that slots into the SSD port w/ a passthrough. (I'm fairly sure this will work)
 
I don't think we will have mid gen pro models, but I think the next generation will come a couple of years earlier than normal.
 

Otre

Banned
A new smaller, redesigned PS5 would be great. A Pro one will not happen soon. Inflation will make sure of that.

The video is right, Moore's law is traveling but the cost per transistor is going down in a dramatically slower fashion. We are still in the cross gen era and 8k is not needed. The best thing to ever happen to consoles is brought by AMD with FSR 2.0 alongside other image reconstruction technologies.

Its a bad title for this type of video. Its more of a "Will Pro versions of XBS or PS5 be out soon" type of vid. Well made nothenless. Richard's "In theory" series of videos is great.
 
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01011001

Banned
The question is premature. We need to see the best of what the gen can offer and we are not close.

The Matrix Awakens and Hellblade 2 tell me naw, we good.

so Matrix Awakens, a demo that can't hold 30fps and has the worst image quality imaginable gives you that impression?
 

Hezekiah

Banned
apparently enough for them to only lower the prices multiple months after launch
You might want to consider why with millions of people apparently prepared to buy a ~€1,300 games console, no console manufacturer has ever come anywhere close to releasing a console at that price (nor will be doing so in the future) 🤔
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
He has some good points. Chips aren't getting cheaper over time like they used to and doubling the power of the systems would cost a lot more. I don't think consumers would be ok with the first $1k console.
 

01011001

Banned
You might want to consider why with millions of people apparently prepared to buy a ~€1,300 games console, no console manufacturer has ever come anywhere close to releasing a console at that price (nor will be doing so in the future) 🤔

actually... Microsoft was. They had plans for a more expensive pro model right at launch but ultimately decided to go the other way by selling a cheaper one. I guess they thought 3 models at launch was a bit too much
 

Hezekiah

Banned
actually... Microsoft was. They had plans for a more expensive pro model right at launch but ultimately decided to go the other way by selling a cheaper one. I guess they thought 3 models at launch was a bit too much
It would have been nowhere near €1,300, or even €1,000 lol.
 
It would have to be 30 tflops to have the mid gen refresh effect from what ive seen from lack of gains. That DLSS type solution from AMD should be enough for a while.

I played MGS Rising today, and would gladly take that production quality to get a good amount of games again. The industry needs a plateau for a bit.
 

Rayderism

Member
Slim yes, Pro no.

What they really need is a universal Playstation, one that plays physical PS1/2/3/4/5 games out of the box.
 

01011001

Banned
It would have been nowhere near €1,300, or even €1,000 lol.

maybe not, maybe it would have been...
doesn't matter. people buying expensive electronics is not a rare thing.

Scalpers absolutely sold PS5s and Series Xs for 1000€ and above. people were absolutely willing to pay those prices, and that was for a piece of tech that wasn't worth the price they asked for either.
imaging what people would do if the console they bought for 1300 bucks was actually worth that money?
 

01011001

Banned
I thought that was to achieve a film like look and not based on the ability of the engine.

nope... while driving through the world you drop frames constantly and there are massive stutters. and that's also when the demo starts to kinda look like absolute shit in motion.
the image quality isn't as much of an issue as long as camera shots are tightly directed and scripted, but as soon as you actually walk and drive through the city the demo starts to really look like ass.

the artifacts in motion are ridiculous and unprecedented.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I'm a supporter of mid gen refreshes. Gives gamers an option. If someone doesn't like them thats fine. Just stick to an OG model and play that for the entire 7 year era.

One X was a great boost. Double the storage size, a 4k optical drive, HDR, much faster and smoother and higher res. As a bonus, it was even smaller and sleeker too.

It's kind of similar to waiting for Director's Edition games for dirt cheap years later. Some people buy games at launch for $60-70. Some wait 3 years and buy them at bargain prices where DLC might be included too. If the game maker wants to make it and some gamers prefer to wait for a better deal let them enjoy it.
 
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Ozzie666

Member
Much as I like my Pro and X, they ruined the increase from the following generation. I know Sony and Microsoft haven't come out and supported mid-gen fresh this time around, but how can anyone talk about this after what has happened.

Chip production issues and impacted uptake. Yes the demand from the consumer is there, but the manufacturing is clearly not. This generation is off to a disastrous start, both hardware and software wise. Delays etc. They would have been better off to have delayed their consoles, increase specs and started with actually high quality software. Anyhow I'm fortunate to have both consoles, last thing I want to do is go through that hell again for a pro upgrade.

And if Game devs start developing for the pro levels of performance vs stock ps5/xbox, I'd be pretty upset. This all seems lunacy.
 

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
......................................


I would buy it if its affordable.
 
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ChiefDada

Gold Member
Richard's lol not even 10 seconds is pure gold; the only appropriate reaction to the idea of a mid-gen refresh at this point.
 

sachos

Member
Uploaded 28 May, and unlisted, anyone know why is that? (Havent watched the video yet, will save for later)
 

Gamerguy84

Member
Covid really messed up a lot of things, gaming included of course. Its true we haven't maxed this hardware yet.

The business decisions to move to cross gen were necessary but bad for next gen owners at the same time.

I would take a mid gen console but feels premature and weird to even think about it right now. I guess I'm not gonna complain either way because I'm on the fence about it.
 

Unknown?

Member
How many people do you suppose are spending $3,000 on TVs, or $400 - $500 on Blu-ray players? How many do you think are gamers? Why do you think we've never seen anything like a ~$1,300 console in several decades of console gaming before?

Dismantled lol

How many people people do you think paid a scalper €1,000 for their PS5?
We have though. The Panasonic 3DO launched at $1,398.53 when adjusted for inflation. That was your high end $1400 console.
 

Robb

Gold Member
I’d say no, but that goes for the vast majority of all upgrades.

We don’t ‘need’ a slim version either, but I’d still be interested in both a Pro/Slim model and would buy one.
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
Yes we do because when I play GT7 I can’t shake the feeling that there are 2 or 3 higher graphical presets hidden in game code just waiting for better hardware.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I’d say no, but that goes for the vast majority of all upgrades.

We don’t ‘need’ a slim version either, but I’d still be interested in both a Pro/Slim model and would buy one.
If history is a good indicator, people have estimated PS4 Pro and One X were only 10% of sales. I dont know if that's true, but for sake of argument lets say it is roughly that amount (give or take a bit).

On the surface, going through all that hardware hassle for mid gen adopters to upgrade, or people with no system but so happen buying that as their initial purchase for the generation doesn't seem worth doing from an MS or Sony standpoint.

But who knows. Maybe they got to force themselves to do it for sake of keeping up with the jones and being tech relevant.
 
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