PS5 Pro's Poor Reception Does Nothing to Slow Sales Projections

With the recent unveiling of the PS5 Pro, analysts weigh in on its expected sales performance. And elsewhere, the latest iteration of the PS5 revives speculations that circulated earlier in the year.

Analyst Weighs in on PS5 Pro Sales Trajectory with Price HikePS5 Pro Expanded Capabilities Revive Rumors of New “PS5 Handheld”

With the recent official unveiling of the 700-hundred-dollar PS5 Pro, industry analysts have projected Sony's latest iteration of the flagship console to reach a similar level of sales performance to that of the PS4 Pro, despite the price hike. "The price point of the PS5 Pro will inevitably cause a lot of commentary," Ampere Analysis market research director Piers Harding-Rolls said, according to VGC. "The price point differential between the PS5 and PS5 Pro is between 40-50%, which is significantly more than the differential between the PS4 and PS4 Pro at launch."

The firm said it expects Sony to sell around 1.3 million units of the PS5 Pro during its November 2024 launch window, some 400k units less than the PS4 Pro units sold at launch in 2016. "In the US, the PS4 Pro launched at $399 and the slim PS4 was $299 at the time, a 33% differential. Additionally, the slim PS4 had a retail price of $299 having dropped from the original PS4 launch price of $399," Piers said.

The analyst additionally said that the PS5 Pro's price point may "soften" the demand for the new console, "but for PlayStation enthusiasts the pricing is less of a consideration," Piers concluded. Sony was able to accumulate around 14.5 million units sold for the PS4 Pro. According to the Ampere Analysis, the PS4 Pro accounted for roughly 12% of the total sales of the PS4 console line, with an expected sell-through* of "around 13 million units" in 5 years time.
Sell-through* as defined, refers to "a transaction in which a consumer buys goods or products directly from a retailer."

Elsewhere, PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny said that the PS5 Pro will "enhance" PSVR2 games through performance improvements. Cerny, in a statement to news outlet Cnet, said that the PS5 Pro's improved GPU will enable higher resolution outputs for games on the PSVR2, although no specific PSVR2 games receiving this support have been confirmed.

Cerny reportedly stated that the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, the PS5 Pro's AI-assisted upscaling feature, will be compatible and work on the PSVR2 down the line. Apart from the PSVR2, PS5 Pro is made compatible with other PS5 accessories such as the PS Portal, the company's PS5 remote player.

In relation to the PS5 Pro's compatibility with the PS Portal, recent reports have suggested that a rumored new "portable PlayStation console" could be cropping up as a future product. Earlier in the year, reports emerged of a rumored PS handheld that could potentially run PS5 games. Though nothing has been confirmed nor announced, the PS5 Pro's expanded capabilities and features could possibly rejuvenate and transform its handheld line.