Summary
Sony has confirmed thatPS5 Propre-orders will be temporarily exclusive to PlayStation Direct in supported regions. Pre-orders for thePS5 Proare set to go live on September 26, but prospective buyers may not have the option to secure the upcoming console through third-party retailers for some time if they live in a region where PlayStation Direct is available.
After a months-long build-up of anticipation,Sony formally announced the PS5 Proin a recently-streamed technical presentation. The upgraded mid-generation console boasts some big improvements over the current PS5’s graphical capabilities, with nearly50 games confirmed to feature PS5 Pro upgradeswhen it launches on November 7. However, the PS5 Pro’s asking price has been a hot topic among fans, with many considering $700 too steep for a console. Some even reckon that it prices out a lot of people who were formerly looking to buy a PS5 Pro, and are supposedly better off building a PC instead.
For those unfazed by thePS5 Pro’s exorbitant price tag, though, the pre-order process for the console has a new wrinkle. Sony recently amended the PS5 Pro announcement post on PlayStation.Blog, confirming that PS5 Pro pre-orders will nowopen first on PlayStation Directfor two weeks, beginning September 26 and ending October 10. This means that PS5 Pro buyers who live in regions covered by PlayStation Direct won’t have the option to pre-order the enthusiast console from any other retailer during the two-week exclusivity period. Regions unsupported by PlayStation Direct won’t be affected by this change.
Regions Where PlayStation Direct is Available
PS5 Pro Pre-Order Details
Prior to this switch-up, the PS5 Pro could be pre-ordered at both PlayStation Direct and participating third-party retailers from the get-go, but it seems Sony wants to funnel prospective buyers into its own digital storefront. This could end uphurting the PS5 Pro’s initial sales performance, as buyers looking to take advantage of potential trade-in offers and/or other incentives from third-party retailers may be dissuaded by the PlayStation Direct exclusivity period for PS5 Pro pre-orders.
The PS5 Pro’s high price has already stirred up a fair bit of controversy, and now the two-week pre-order exclusivity period for Sony’s own storefront is unlikely to help matters whatsoever. Hopefully, Sony plans on demoing the PS5 Pro in real-time at thePlayStation booth during Tokyo Game Show 2024. A live presentation alongside some new tentpole first-party announcements might do well to alleviate some of the negative sentiments surrounding the PS5 Pro’s value proposition.
PlayStation 5 Pro
Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro is the mid-generation evolution of the PS5, one that comes with an improved GPU and 2TB of storage space. The graphics card is advertised to offer 67% more compute units than the base PS5, along with 28% faster memory. The PS5 Pro also uses AI to offer an enhanced resolution for 4K TV and Advanced Ray Tracing.The console does not come with a disc drive or a vertical stand, both of which are sold separately.
