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[Bernardougf]

Well, don't know.
The e.g. PS4 pro was not really that successful. It was more a marketing thing but sold quite poorly (just like the xb1x) in relation to the little brother/sister.
I guess Sony could do it as there are enough fans that buy whatever they sell. As it must just be compatible it wouldn't make any harm for their current eco system. It just needs to be expensive enough so Sony makes money with it when sold.
For Microsoft, I don't see this. Their fan base is to small for this. Also they have already a weaker and a stronger console. It should not really much more work for the developers, but it might lead to more backlash than there is already because of the series s.

The ps4 pro sold more than the ps4 slim by sony's reports.. you have comment's of shuhei and jim about its unexpected big success.. it wasnt/isnt by any means a failure

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

This "buy a pc" is such a brain dead stupid non-argument.... try better

I agree with you and I would imagine most people willing to spend close to $1000 on a premium console likely has a gaming PC as well.

Its odd how many people seem to feel threatened by a higher end premium sku in the console space

 

[Wooxsvan]

I know one thing, as an enthusiast if all we get is a 499 console w/ slightly bumped specs and not a premium device that, for once, can challenge mid-to-high-end PCs for a bit, I wont be interested. Thats why Im willing to pay 800 ish. I prefer everything about the console setup. I do own PCs too but just dont play nearly as much. I look back at what Sony tried to do with the Pro vs what MS did w/ the One X and loved MS's approach to target a higher spec at a higher price. This go around I want them to go even higher.

 

[Kaachan]

Just as ready as we're to pay $100 for a game nowadays I suppose

 

[EverydayBeast]

Personally if I have to pay $800 I will I still payed that much for a PS5 in 2021 due to scalpers, chip shortage and Covid if you release a console at $800 it will be $1000 on the streets based off console availability.

 

[Bernardougf]

I know one thing, as an enthusiast if all we get is a 499 console w/ slightly bumped specs and not a premium device that, for once, can challenge mid-to-high-end PCs for a bit, I wont be interested. Thats why Im willing to pay 800 ish. I prefer everything about the console setup. I do own PCs too but just dont play nearly as much. I look back at what Sony tried to do with the Pro vs what MS did w/ the One X and loved MS's approach to target a higher spec at a higher price. This go around I want them to go even higher.

Exactly... but just for this reason an early gen two skus 400/800 500/900 is the better option... low end and high end time proof configurations ... with time the high end will get cheaper and people can jump on midgen ...

 

[Ecotic]

It'd be my personal desire for $800-900 pro versions to become the norm. PC components like GPUs keep becoming more and more of a premium market for enthusiasts and consoles have become the watered-down budget versions. I don't personally like the disparity, but from a business perspective I also think that's a lot of market to cede if you're Sony and Microsoft. If they could capture more of the enthusiast market without harming their mainstream base console business that would be great.

A $900 pro version could buy a lot of performance for a console, especially if it's released four years after the base console, it could be quite the leap.

 

[grfunkulus]

Well, I certainly don't "need" it. When I build a new rig, I just tend to go all out for it to last a long time. In the past, it was would have been $2000ish. For it to more than double is pretty nuts to me. This isn't even a full build. That price is literally just CPU, memory, motherboard, power supply, GPU (4090), AiO cooler and 2x NVMEs. To be fair, the GPU is half the price of the build.

Motherboards are also absurd now. The cheapest motherboard that has all of the features I want is $600. Things have just gotten crazy.

I mean, these things are cyclical. I think there was a goldilocks period around the 1080ti that made people forget that 10-15 years earlier, you WERE paying $4k for top of the line. Here's a 3080 build for cheap. It's gonna be a pain in the ass to change anything, as these alienware pre-builts suck in terms of using weird proprietary motherboard configs and such. But for someone who just wants to hop in at a performance level that is around where a supposed ps5 pro might eventually fall, this is NOT that expensive of an entry point.

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[Torrent of Pork]

I don't have a problem with them existing as high-end SKUs, but it cannot be the price of the 'regular' console.

An Xbox Series Elite (example name) that has a 2tb drive, and runs everything at 4k 60fps could be something I might be willing to drop a grand on.

 

[Nocturno999]

If money is not an issue just buy a gaming laptop and end your misery...

 

[meech]

That argument doesn't work for two reasons; phones are considered almost a necessity in this day and age. P

No one needs a thousand dollar phone for necessities. Making phone calls, whats app,email, mobile browsing and even gaming, a cheap android phone for under 200 euros/dollars is capable and fast enough. Even for some selfies/vids.

 

[Chronicle]

Yes. I spend that on two bags of groceries

 

[njean777]

The problem with this is what happens when the mass market PS6 comes out? Will it magically drop to 500$ and be more powerful than the PS5 pro (I assume it would have to be for people to even take notice)? Then you have ps5 pro owners feeling ripped off and the ps6 players laughing. Vice versa if the ps5 pro is more powerful than the ps6 then what’s the point of buying a ps6 at all… I don’t think a pro console is needed this gen.

 

[Celcius]

The problem with this is what happens when the mass market PS6 comes out? Will it magically drop to 500$ and be more powerful than the PS5 pro (I assume it would have to be for people to even take notice)? Then you have ps5 pro owners feeling ripped off and the ps6 players laughing. Vice versa if the ps5 pro is more powerful than the ps6 then what’s the point of buying a ps6 at all… I don’t think a pro console is needed this gen.

I pondered this as well… I think the solution would be to not release a ps6 until it’s feasible to make something significantly more powerful than the ps5 pro for the price they want to target (probably $500).

 

[grfunkulus]

I pondered this as well… I think the solution would be to not release a ps6 until it’s feasible to make something significantly more powerful than the ps5 pro for the price they want to target (probably $500).

Drop the price of the Series X and Ps5. The problem is, dropping the price of the ps5 digital is going to be kinda tough, as it's still seen as a great value (debatable). The Series X should already have dropped, given that $250 is effectively the de facto price for the Series S given it's on sale 24/7/365 since November 2022. The ps4 pro had a space in the lineup because the slim came out at the same time and dropped the price of the base console 25%. If the ps5 was suddenly 25% cheaper across the board and they introduced a pro console, it would be super clear you're an 'early adopter' if you're willing to pay 2x the price or more. I don't quite understand how GPUs have gotten some/significantly cheaper (at least for last gen) while Sony/Xbox aren't decreasing their prices (if anything, they're increasing--see Sony in Europe). Most components, including storage, are a lot cheaper now as well. PSUs are up but only because of the higher end GPU artificially increasing the prices of 850+ watt PSUS

Most of the components are getting cheaper, not more expensive. Inflation is real but at some point these companies are just being greedy. They can release a Pro console, and it *shouldn't be $800-900, unless they're explicitly going to sell at near cost or a loss to compete with high end PC gaming rigs.

 

[Tams]

Drop the price of the Series X and Ps5. The problem is, dropping the price of the ps5 digital is going to be kinda tough, as it's still seen as a great value (debatable). The Series X should already have dropped, given that $250 is effectively the de facto price for the Series S given it's on sale 24/7/365 since November 2022. The ps4 pro had a space in the lineup because the slim came out at the same time and dropped the price of the base console 25%. If the ps5 was suddenly 25% cheaper across the board and they introduced a pro console, it would be super clear you're an 'early adopter' if you're willing to pay 2x the price or more. I don't quite understand how GPUs have gotten some/significantly cheaper (at least for last gen) while Sony/Xbox aren't decreasing their prices (if anything, they're increasing--see Sony in Europe). Most components, including storage, are a lot cheaper now as well. PSUs are up but only because of the higher end GPU artificially increasing the prices of 850+ watt PSUS

Most of the components are getting cheaper, not more expensive. Inflation is real but at some point these companies are just being greedy. They can release a Pro console, and it *shouldn't be $800-900, unless they're explicitly going to sell at near cost or a loss to compete with high end PC gaming rigs.

Do you have any evidence to back up that Sony could afford to drop the price by 25%? That's a massive price cut and I struggle to see how that could be a good business decision.

That they and Microsoft have not only not cut the price, but increased it, strongly suggests that costs have not significantly gone down for either of them. And they will know what their costs are compared to some stranger on the Internet, who probably doesn't have any special insight or access to the manufacturing of said consoles.

 

[GeekyDad]

Yes. Give me even higher tiered options with even greater performance. Not everyone is broke.

 

[daninthemix]

The next "step up" is 4k, 60fps with ray tracing enabled

People always talk like this and it's bollocks. You can have 4K, 60fps and ray tracing running right now on content that's a single polygon on a blank canvas. "4k 60" isn't some static performance target - the games themselves, in terms of meshes, animation, AI etc are all getting more demanding always. So your Pro system can do 4K 60 with ray tracing one year, but the next year the games are more demanding, so it's back to fake 4k mostly 60 with low-res ray tracing.

 

[Majukun]

world isn't ready for the current consoles, let alone more expensive ones....

 

[old-parts]

world isn't ready for the current consoles, let alone more expensive ones....

Precisely, the richest parts of the world economies are all de-stabilizing due to a number of factors.

Pursuing even more expensive luxury game consoles is suicide if major economies head not just into a recession but depression (which is wealth destruction).

Then there is the ESG cult which is now embedded within the heart of brussels EU decision making bodies, power guzzling game consoles will almost certainly become a target for them, as they have already started on the TV industry.

The only thing that would make sense if a newer design was cheaper, more power efficient and also faster, if they can pull that rabbit out of the hat. Targeting whales like those who buy RTX-4090's on PC's is idiocy for game consoles.

 

[Seider]

No

 

[consoul]

The world was ready long ago.
When inflation adjusted, NeoGeo, 3DO, Intellivision and others were well over the relative $1000 mark for their time. They weren't hugely successful, but a market for expensive premium consoles exists.

 

[StueyDuck]

I think you can relax and not worry. These companies RnD and outsource materials to purposefully bring down production costs to as little as possible to attract the masses.

The "pro" consoles will release at a time when they can sell it at a price that at worst is $100 more.

Unless the economy takes a huge nose dive and inflation goes beyond what we've ever seen before, it's pretty safe to assume the pros will be at most pushing $600 on release

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Fuck no. Sure, there would be dumbass rich people who would buy them, but that would be very few. Totally unsustainable.

 

[Kiya's Guard]

The console market is designed for people who don't want to initially invest much, and "zero" headaches.

While there's a substantial amount of people who would pay whatever price for the consoles, they're a hair strand compared to the total of potential consumer base.

The ps2 sold 160 millions, how many of those would pay for a high cost hypothetical ps6?

 

[njean777]

Drop the price of the Series X and Ps5. The problem is, dropping the price of the ps5 digital is going to be kinda tough, as it's still seen as a great value (debatable). The Series X should already have dropped, given that $250 is effectively the de facto price for the Series S given it's on sale 24/7/365 since November 2022. The ps4 pro had a space in the lineup because the slim came out at the same time and dropped the price of the base console 25%. If the ps5 was suddenly 25% cheaper across the board and they introduced a pro console, it would be super clear you're an 'early adopter' if you're willing to pay 2x the price or more. I don't quite understand how GPUs have gotten some/significantly cheaper (at least for last gen) while Sony/Xbox aren't decreasing their prices (if anything, they're increasing--see Sony in Europe). Most components, including storage, are a lot cheaper now as well. PSUs are up but only because of the higher end GPU artificially increasing the prices of 850+ watt PSUS

Most of the components are getting cheaper, not more expensive. Inflation is real but at some point these companies are just being greedy. They can release a Pro console, and it *shouldn't be $800-900, unless they're explicitly going to sell at near cost or a loss to compete with high end PC gaming rigs.

With shipping and everything being super expensive right now, and the economies of the world being what they are, there is really no point to release a pro console. People are buying ps5's and XSX's at their current prices. Just sell those for another 3 years or so and put out a proper successor. No reason to release a pro console as nobody (or very few) have jumped to 8k TV's and the 4k experience for ps5 and XSX is good enough for the majority. If you want bette 4k performace build a PC and pay those crazy nividia prices.

 

[Alexios]

The world is ready for consoles to be free with software, dlc, micro transactions, subscriptions etc. being the only source of revenue for the companies involved, it's where the bulk of their money comes from anyway. Just have 2-3-5 game customizable bundles that cost just as much as the games since they obviously can't just hand them out so even people who don't game get them just for the hell of it as it's shoveled out of shops or something, or you'd end up with applying as a customer the way developers apply to get their hands on an SDK or something, only whales would get any, lol.

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

I think it's extremely unlikely that we'll get enhanced consoles this gen for the same price that the ps5 & xbox series launched at. It's just not economically feasible. However, if Sony and MS were comfortable with delivering a $800-$900 product then this would open the door to all kinds of technical possibilities.

"But Celcius", you may say, "That's a lot of money!"

Cell phones cost a thousand dollars these days. Computer videocards can be $1k-$2k depending on what you get at the high end. A Pro console is supposed to deliver a higher-end gaming experience than the base console and the fact is that things are getting expensive these days so price increases are inevitable. Paying $800-$900 is still much cheaper than spending that much on a computer videocard and then also having to buy the rest of the system. Also keep in mind that if you don't want to spend this kind of money on a console, the base consoles will still exist.

"But Celcius", you may say again, "What would a Pro console even offer?"

More memory (RAM). CPUs with either x3d cache or higher clockspeeds. Bigger gpus. Beefier cooling to handle the new specs without sounding like a jet engine. Since the storage is expandable, I'd prefer they don't spend any extra money on the base storage and instead put it all into extra power & cooling.

I'm not saying that we need enhanced consoles now or even next year, I'm just assuming at some point.

Last generation has shown that there is a healthy appetite among console gamers for more powerful hardware but I think now the question is how much would they be willing to pay for a meaningful upgrade in power this gen. What do you guys think... is the world ready for $800-$900 enhanced consoles?

People paid that price easily for the PS5 and Series X during the pandemic. They also paid that price for GPUs. I think people will pay $800 for gaming hardware should it bring enough value to their lives.

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

The next "step up" is 4k, 60fps with ray tracing enabled

You currently cant even do that reliably with a pc graphics card that costs $1,500

There is absalutly no chance a mid gen "upgrade" is happening that boosts the performance of the console, it makes much more sense for both Sony and Microsoft to just wait until the parts are cheaper and make a new console

What do you mean the 4090 is easily handles 4k120, in fact the 4090 is so fast the fastest CPUs hold it back. The 4080 is $1200 and it can also do most of what a 4090 can do.

I think the next step is not having RT performance that is worst than the weakest 1st generation RT card(the 2060) that's a 5 year old card and the consoles can't beat it in RT games, also having less weak CPUs the CPUs in current gen consoles are better than what we had but Zen 2 wasn't exactly the best gaming CPU even in 2019 when it launched. Doing better than that would be an improvement. Also any additional rasterization performance would bump current consoles higher than the 1080p(returnal, gotg etc)-1600p window they occupy today.

A Zen 5, RDNA4 enhanced console would be huge. But I doubt they'll upgrade to Zen 5, they'll probably use a die shrunk Zen 2 with slightly higher clocks like they did last time.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

The vote ratio should give you an understanding.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

The vote ratio should give you an understanding.

I think if 30% of next console buyers would opt for a premium sku priced closed to $1000 both Sony and Xbox would be happy with that

 

[Imp the Dimp]

If they're good, sure. I found the PS5 at 500€ to be a steal and well below my maximum willingness to pay. I would've probably been willing to pay up to 700-750€. I could see myself valuing a PS5 Pro at 800-900€, definitely. I use that thing almost daily for years and years. It's great value either way, much like smartphone as the OP points out. If you break it down to € per day, gaming is still one of the better value hobbies honestly.

 

[Gaiff]

No one needs a thousand dollar phone for necessities. Making phone calls, whats app,email, mobile browsing and even gaming, a cheap android phone for under 200 euros/dollars is capable and fast enough. Even for some selfies/vids.

You're 100% correct. A $150 phone is plenty for 99% of the population but people still see more value in a $1000 phone than a $500 console simply because the very concept of the modern mobile phone presents it as an indispensable device. They have become more common than cars and damn near everything. I know people in poor countries who still somehow manage to get their hands on the latest iPhone but aren't even sure if they will have enough for their next meal.

 

[supernova8]

It's all about the games. I'm not buying a $1,000 console (with presumably extremely beef specs) unless there are games genuinely taking advantage of all that power. I don't think we're even close to seeing what PS5 and Series X can do.

 

[BrutalTruth_]

Would pay 1k for a console if the games are there and there's no mid gen refresh.

 

[dano1]

But we’re already getting $800-$900 dollar consoles for $500!
(If they wanted to make profits that PC gets). PS5 pro will be a beast for $500-$600 !!

 

[jufonuk]

Might as well get a PC for that amount.

I don't play PC. So I do t know the amount.

 

[Lysandros]

adding pro consoles to this current shit show will only increase more problems we have already witnessed a plethora of Brocken bugged up games and some games look worse than 10 year old games and perform like crap on current consoles like wild hearts, wu long, even gotham knights looks worse than arkham knight and is only 30fps, introducing pro consoles simply means developers will slap out more unoptimized games out there.

100%. But who cares right? The masses just demand more SKUs to be added to the picture. They just want "more options", how innocent and cute does this sound? They can all cry "lazier devs" when app quality per SKU falls even lower anyway. Or just ask for another SKU because the new PRO one "isn't powerful enough to run games properly".

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I think if 30% of next console buyers would opt for a premium sku priced closed to $1000 both Sony and Xbox would be happy with that

Personally, I would buy it, and I think it'll sell well enough to be a viable option.

 

[NahaNago]

I'm going to say no on this one. I think we could get to 700 if we get a ps5 pro at 600. Doubling the price of the console is just too much of a shock. I wouldn't mind spending that much money on a console.

 

[AncientOrigin]

Majority has the wrong answer.The answer is yes.
The first 20-40 million is going to the hardcore gamer and most of them would pay everything if the technology the power is there.After 2 years the price will drop by 100-200 then we are back to the price now which breaks records sales.
Especially for PlayStation 1000 dollars is no problem it would sell 10 million the frorst few years easy

 

[kingyala]

100%. But who cares right? The masses just demand more SKUs to be added to the picture. They just want "more options", how innocent and cute does this sound? They can all cry "lazier devs" when app quality per SKU falls even lower anyway. Or just ask for another SKU because the new PRO one "isn't powerful enough to run games properly".

yeah its a few gamers who are smart enough to know we dont need more sku's but proper use of the current one's and the other type of gamers are just there for the hype just to say my box can do 4k 120 and a year later complain why it cant do 8k 120 like the biggest pc configurations.. and as u said even a new pro console would not run a game significantly well enough than current consoles we already have an example where series x already a pro console to the series s doesnt perform significantly better than series s.. same stutters same bugs sometimes inherits same low quality textures or adds raytracing and higher fps only to drop fps.. this will be the same fate for pro consoles

 

[German Hops]

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

yeah its a few gamers who are smart enough to know we dont need more sku's but proper use of the current one's and the other type of gamers are just there for the hype just to say my box can do 4k 120 and a year later complain why it cant do 8k 120 like the biggest pc configurations.. and as u said even a new pro console would not run a game significantly well enough than current consoles we already have an example where series x already a pro console to the series s doesnt perform significantly better than series s.. same stutters same bugs sometimes inherits same low quality textures or adds raytracing and higher fps only to drop fps.. this will be the same fate for pro consoles

There are a lot of games the Series X straight up beats the Series S in most scenarios and if I could gain that type of boost over with a Pro console over the Series X and PS5

 

[kingyala]

There are a lot of games the Series X straight up beats the Series S in most scenarios and if I could gain that type of boost over with a Pro console over the Series X and PS5

it wont be significant that its just pointless... if a pro console comes out people will find flaws and need another pro then another pro then another chasing nirvana is never ending even pc rigs get updated every year there will never be a perfect machine people need to just love their consoles and be patient for nextgen games that are well optimized and designed for those platforms other than chasing never ending pro hardware.., the pro consoles last gen where about 4k tv compatibility and frame rates that is different now nobody not sony or ms would spend money on a pro console to improve raytracing puddles and shadows that an average gamer doesnt even recognize

its just pointless even more pointless when u realize nextgen games havent been made in mass yet. and asking devs to optimize from series s to x ps5 pc and pro consoles is unaceptable they are having a hard time already just implementing split screen on series s so give them a break guys.. i can only see a ps6 coming out with drastic improvements like high bandwidth ssd 50gb/s or resistive ram, 3ghz 60 tflops + gpu's drastically faster cpu's that will mean end of baked lighting true 4k 60 no compromise, and a drastic change from how games look. theres just too many diminishing returns for pro consoles for them to be a thing

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

it wont be significant that its just pointless... if a pro console comes out people will find flaws and need another pro then another pro then another chasing nirvana is never ending even pc rigs get updated every year there will never be a perfect machine people need to just love their consoles and be patient for nextgen games that are well optimized and designed for those platforms other than chasing never ending pro hardware.., the pro consoles last gen where about 4k tv compatibility and frame rates that is different now nobody not sony or ms would spend money on a pro console to improve raytracing puddles and shadows that an average gamer doesnt even recognize

its just pointless even more pointless when u realize nextgen games havent been made in mass yet. and asking devs to optimize from series s to x ps5 pc and pro consoles is unaceptable they are having a hard time already just implementing split screen on series s so give them a break guys.. i can only see a ps6 coming out with drastic improvements like high bandwidth ssd 50gb/s or resistive ram, 3ghz 60 tflops + gpu's drastically faster cpu's that will mean end of baked lighting true 4k 60 no compromise, and a drastic change from how games look. theres just too many diminishing returns for pro consoles for them to be a thing

Good thing no one is forcing you to buy it then I guess.

Good thing for people like me it looks like we will have the option to purchase these pro consoles

 

[kingyala]

Good thing no one is forcing you to buy it then I guess.

Good thing for people like me it looks like we will have the option to purchase these pro consoles

your free to buy it in your dreams. i can bet u now that no pro console will be made only pro youll get is a slimmer console or production node. goodluck dreaming though

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

your free to buy it in your dreams. i can bet u now that no pro console will be made only pro youll get is a slimmer console or production node. goodluck dreaming though

You have every right to believe that as I have some pretty good reasons to believe the pro consoles are coming

 

[nial]

PS4 Pro came out 3 years later after PS4 and was launched at $399 which was the same price that PS4 launched at in 2013. This means the PS5 Pro will cost $500 and most likely will be digital only to save on the production costs.

PS4, $400 at launch in 2013 >>>> PS4 Pro, $400 at launch in 2016, three years later.
Digital-only PS5, $400 at launch in 2020 >>>> Digital-only PS5 Pro, $500 at launch in 2024? Four years later?
I don't get this reasoning, unless it's a bigger upgrade than the PS4 Pro was.

 

[Elder Legend]

PS4, $400 at launch in 2013 >>>> PS4 Pro, $400 at launch in 2016, three years later.
Digital-only PS5, $400 at launch in 2020 >>>> Digital-only PS5 Pro, $500 at launch in 2024? Four years later?
I don't get this reasoning, unless it's a bigger upgrade than the PS4 Pro was.

Yes, it's assuming it's a more powerful PS5 obviously.