Sony Group has launched a new, faster and more expensive version of its popular video game console in an effort to boost sales ahead of the holiday season.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will go on sale on November 7 and will cost US$700which is a $200 increase over the standard version, the company said Tuesday. The new high-end console will allow PlayStation 5 games to be played at improved resolutions and higher frame rates without having to switch between modes, Mark Cerny, the console’s lead architect, said in a video presentation.
The executive said that PlayStation 5 Pro will offer 45% faster rendering than the standard PlayStation 5. “Simply put, it’s the most powerful console we’ve ever built,” Cerny said. Sony hopes the technical overhaul will help drive more purchases of the PlayStation 5, which has sold more than 59 million units since launch in 2020 but has fallen slightly behind its predecessor, the PlayStation 4. The increased cost may limit its audience.
PlayStation 5 Pro will not include a disc drive, reflecting the gaming industry’s trend away from physical media and toward online services. The new console will improve the performance of older titles and “several games will be patched with free software updates so players can take advantage of PS5 Pro features,” including Hogwarts Legacy, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Spider-Man 2, the company announced on its blog.
