PlayStation 5 Pro is the Lowest-Selling PlayStation in Sony's History
The PlayStation 5 Pro is the flagship video game console developed by Sony Corporation. Given that the original PlayStation 5 sold out immediately, it became clear that the Pro edition was to be the biggest.
But things took a surprising direction, where the PlayStation 5 Pro ended up to be the lowest-selling ever for the PlayStation in its history at Sony.
In this article, we are going to analyze the various reasons why the PlayStation 5 Pro is underwhelming in the global market, including factors such as its high price point, minimal graphical improvements over the base PS5, frequent technical glitches, and the absence of any compelling exclusive titles that can fully show the Pro’s potential.
1. High Price Point
One of the most pressing factors that have contributed to such poor sales of the PS5 Pro is price.
When it was unveiled, the PlayStation 5 Pro was priced significantly higher compared to its predecessor, the PS5, which had in turn been priced high according to many people’s view.
The PS5 Pro was set at a price that was very hard to justify to most consumers, especially given the economic issues that many people around the world faced at the time of its release.
PS5 Pro was marketed as a next-level gaming console, and it did deliver on the promise. But for most gamers, it was not something that was worth spending the money on.
With the original PS5 still being a popular option and providing solid performance, spending extra money on the Pro version for only marginal improvements seemed unreasonable.
The financial strain of purchasing a gaming console, especially in regions dealing with inflation and economic downturns, made it hard for many potential buyers to justify the expense.
The other factor is that Sony had to contend with competition from other gaming consoles such as Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, which, for the same amount of performance, was available at a lower price.
Therefore, the PS5 Pro became less appealing to budget-conscious buyers who were not fully sold on the idea that the added features of the Pro justified the extra expense.
2. Slightly Marginal Graphical Improvements Over the Base PS5
When Sony released the PlayStation 5 Pro, gamers expected significant graphical enhancements over the base PS5. After all, the Pro models of past consoles had always offered better hardware, sharper graphics, and smoother performance.
Unfortunately, the PS5 Pro’s graphical improvements were, in many ways, negligible compared to the base model.
This had the Pro offering a more dramatic level of performance in certain games, which was not immediately obvious to the average player unless, perhaps, playing on the few higher-end televisions or monitors that supported the added capabilities.
The most notable addition was support for 8K resolution and ray tracing, though these features hadn’t yet reached wide usage by the gaming community.
Most gamers didn’t even have the hardware, such as 8K TVs, to properly take full advantage of such graphical overhauls.
Therefore, for many people who already were having a fantastic gaming experience on the base PS5, it was too much to ask to upgrade to the Pro.
Another factor is that most of the Pro’s graphical improvements seemed too technical rather than practical. While 4K gaming at 120 FPS would be impressive on paper, the average gamer might not have felt a difference especially in case they did not have the compatible display, or that the game being played could not fully exploit the updated hardware.
As a result, the PS5 Pro did not give the kind of visually stunning upgrade that previous Pro versions of consoles, such as the PS4 Pro, had promised.
3. Frequent Bugs and Technical Glitches
The other significant reason for the underwhelming performance of the PS5 Pro in the market was the number of technical issues that plagued the console at launch.
While it is not unusual to see some technical glitches pop up with new consoles, the PS5 Pro seemed to have a higher-than-usual number of bugs, with system crashes, slow loading times, and problems associated with game performance.
Coolers were also reported on by some users as experiencing overheating during extended use, while others reported errors with the firmware and updating of the software.
These technical issues marred the reputation of the PS5 Pro and made many potential buyers hesitate before buying.
In a world where consumers expect to have seamless experiences from their gaming consoles, the bugs and glitches of the PS5 Pro left a sour taste in the mouths of many players.
It did not help that Sony’s support team was unable to resolve some of these issues quickly, leaving users frustrated and skeptical of the reliability of the console.
The launch of the PS5 Pro was also marred further by bad reviews and criticism from mouth from early adopters who felt they purchased a console that wasn’t living up to its hype. This led to lower sales months after it has been released as most probable buyers wait for a version that will be stable and polished enough.
4. Lack of Compelling Exclusive Titles
Apart from the hardware issues, the PS5 Pro struggled due to a lack of compelling exclusive games that could truly showcase its power and potential.
While the base PS5 had a solid lineup of exclusive titles, the PS5 Pro lacked the strong roster of games that would make it an essential upgrade for many gamers.
Sony focused the promotion of the Pro version mostly on the hardware capabilities, and it left the console without the essential “killer apps” that would make gamers come in and get excited about the new system.
There are many good games on the PlayStation 5, including Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Demon’s Souls, and Horizon Forbidden West. However, these games, although very great, did not suffice for many players to pay to upgrade to the Pro, especially because the graphical quality between the two versions often was so minimal.
People were looking for much more innovative titles or experiences specifically designed for the PS5 Pro’s enhanced features. Those games never materialized in the way people anticipated.
Without standout exclusives to drive demand, the PS5 Pro was left in a difficult position. Gamers who already had the base PS5 were not seeing a strong enough incentive to upgrade, and those who didn’t own a PS5 were still faced with the decision of whether or not the Pro’s higher price justified the minor improvements.
The lack of exclusive titles tailored specifically for the Pro further weakened the argument for purchasing the upgraded console.
Among others, its poor performance in the worldwide market can be attributed to its high price, it having minimal graphical improvements in comparison to the base model PS5, frequent technical glitches, and a shortage of exclusive games that should have driven people to be interested in this Pro.
While Sony expected much of the Pro model of PS5, the console seems to have let the industry down in so far as its predecessor set the stakes, and indeed previous pro models.
In a market where gamers have become discerning about the way they spend their money, PS5 Pro’s small upgrades and technical flaws made it a hard sell.
In the absence of such large performance upgrades and must-play games that might have easily justified the extra price tag, the PlayStation 5 Pro could not grab the attention and excitement of the gaming community.
If Sony is to regain its momentum and restore faith in its console lineup, it will have to focus on these issues, deliver more substantial performance improvements, and ensure that future releases are supported by strong, exclusive games that showcase the potential of their hardware.
