PS5 Pro: High price should not impact sales

Ampere Analysis predicts that despite the higher price, PlayStation 5 Pro sales will follow a similar pattern to its predecessoro PlayStation 4 Pro.

A Sony finally lifted the veil on the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro during a technical presentation last Tuesday (10), announcing that the console will hit the market in November with prices set at $699.99 (the most expensive in the history of the Japanese company).

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Piers Harding-Rollswho is the director of gaming research at Ampere Analysis, noted: “There will undoubtedly be a lot of talk about the price of the PS5 Pro. We’ve seen that the price difference between the base model PS5 and the PS5 Pro is between 40-50%, which is up from the 33% difference we saw between the PS4 and PS4 Pro when they launched.“

PS5 Pro expected to sell 1.3 million units in 2024

In the United States market at its launch, the PS4 Pro had a retail price of $399, while the slim version of the PS4 was available for $299, having already experienced a reduction from its original price of $399.

Still, and even with these factors into account, Ampere Analysis projects that Sony should not see a significant impact on sales, with around 1.3 million PS5 Pro units to be sold by launch in 2024. This number contrasts with the 1.7 million units sold of the PS4 Pro in 2016. “Our understanding is that while price will likely dampen demand somewhat, for PlayStation enthusiasts and loyalists, this factor will carry less weight.“, explicou Harding-Rolls.

In terms of the bigger picture, the PS4 Pro has accumulated total sales of 14.5 million units, accounting for approximately 12% of total PS4 sales. Ampere predicts that the PS5 Pro will reach close to 13 million units by 2029.

Sony’s pricing strategy

Harding-Rolls also discussed Sony’s pricing strategy, clarifying: “The price positioning of the PS5 Pro reflects the tactic adopted by Sony to safeguard its profit margin, given the current inflationary scenario and the absence of direct competition when it comes to a mid-cycle update, something that contrasts with the previous generation where Microsoft entered the market with the Xbox One X..”

He concluded by adding that, given the lack of direct competitors offering something similar, Sony has room to keep the price high to protect its profit margins. For those who are looking to own a PS5 but are concerned about their budget, the standard version of the console seems to be the best choice for the price/performance ratio.

Source: Videogame Chronicles