The PlayStation 5, launched in November 2020, had not yet left its boxes when Sony was already considering the sequel. According to Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst, both CEOs of the PlayStation Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment, development of the PS5 Pro had started even before the PS5 was released. In an interview with Variety, the CEOs revealed the underside of this strategy which aims to position Sony as a herald of a technological avant-garde, with a mid-gen console thought of as obvious to satisfy an audience demanding.
- Also read | PS3: the final production figure of the console revealed
The experience of the PS4 Pro, a premium model which attracted 20% of PS4 buyers during its generation, was a learning laboratory for Sony. The Japanese giant has found interest not only among the most committed users, but also among new players, attracted by this boosted version. Hideaki Nishino said: “We learned a lot from PS4 Pro. The target audience was broad: intensive users, of course, but also newcomers, wanting to learn about a machine with increased performance.” An experience which reassured Sony in the idea that it was necessary to design a mid-gen experience for the PS5.
For Sony, the PS5 Pro represents much more than a simple technical update: it is the result of long-term strategic thinking, taking into account the rapid evolution of technologies and public expectations. Discussing the annual pace of advancements in smartphone and PC innovations, Nishino explained: “Innovation and technological advancement evolve much faster in the modern world”. Sony's idea? Do not align yourself with a rigid development schedule, but anticipate the needs of players in the long term, by regularly offering solutions”innovative and significant. Moreover, he strongly insisted on the fact that the PS5 Pro project was not obvious, but the fruit of long reflection. Sony would have started “working on the PS5 Pro before the PS5 even launched – this was another five-year project for [la société]”.
A philosophy of long-term aim which is found in the very way of designing the PS5 Pro, with an approach where each stage of development takes into account what the future of the console could be. “We never design new hardware without already planning what the next model could be,” Nishino reveals. This strategy would have allowed Sony to project itself beyond the current generation, already preparing the foundations for the next ten years. A way for the manufacturer to ensure that its community can count on a constantly evolving platform.
What For What
However, according to Nishino and Hulst, the PS5 Pro is not only aimed at power enthusiasts. For Sony, it's also about capturing the attention of new users, just as was the case for the PS4 Pro.“The most engaged users are showing strong interest in the PS5 Pro, and I am confident that new users will choose it as well,” Nishino specifies. The message is clear: the PS5 Pro is not a simple “plus” version of the current console, but a machine designed for those looking for an optimal gaming experience, with the performance of a technological war monster.
When asked about the lifespan of the console, the CEOs were clear that the PS5 Pro is made to last, and not to be replaced by another PS5 Pro Plus Premium EX + Alpha model within a few years. months/years. Sony seems to want to move towards a sustainable generation model, with consoles with a life cycle of a decade, supported by intermediate versions capable of boosting their market, and convincing an audience of fans of figures on technical sheets . In an industry where perpetual updating is becoming a norm, Sony would therefore adopt a measured but ambitious vision, which would preserve interest in its ecosystem without giving in to the temptation of a frantic race for new releases, since the CEOs have assured, the PS5 Pro is not there to supplant the classic PS5, but to coexist with it.
The PS5 Pro will hit the market on November 7, 2024 at a price of €799.99.
- Also read | Naoki Yoshida wants to bring Vagrant Story & Final Fantasy Tactics to modern consoles
