On Tuesday, Sony finally announced the PlayStation 5 Pro. However, the new console is already causing controversy due to its high price, which starts at $699.99. The gaming community’s reaction has been predominantly negative, as evidenced by the presentation event’s YouTube video, which has far more dislikes than likes.
No disk drive. Adding to the uproar, the PS5 Pro won’t include a Blu-Ray drive, meaning gamers will need to buy it separately to play physical format games. This move may be part of Sony’s strategy to phase out disk-based gaming. Understandably, this decision has upset many gamers, potentially benefiting Microsoft and Nintendo—if they capitalize on it.
Why? Sony’s introduction of the PS5 Pro seems like a deliberate move to appeal to hardcore gamers. Some may think the new console is just a powerful PC with a different look. The truth is that it offers high graphics quality and performance capable of running games at 60 fps. However, not all gamers require such extreme performance, and comparing the PS5 and PS5 Pro (which, Sony clarifies, is not a new-generation console) may be useless.
Microsoft’s opportunity. On Wednesday, just a few hours after Sony’s presentation, Xbox announced a cheaper Game Pass plan, which had been anticipated for two months. The decision was met with criticism from gamers who saw it as a sneaky price increase, given that the new cheaper tier lacks many of the advantages that Game Pass traditionally offered. However, it’s an interesting move for Xbox’s public image: The cheaper Game Pass contrasts with PS5 Pro’s high price.
Xbox’s upcoming consoles. For now, Xbox hasn’t announced any upgrades to its current consoles, especially since the division of its latest Xbox into X Series and S Series already suggested a more premium approach for one of them. This is in contrast to the PS5 Pro, which is currently the most powerful console available. However, in June, Xbox announced consoles with minor improvements, including two X Series and S Series with new colors and more capacity, and an Xbox X Series All Digital that will go diskless, similar to the PS5 Pro.
No more power. In recent years, unlike PlayStation, Xbox has placed less emphasis on raw processing power, although ironically, the Series X is more powerful than the PS5 in most aspects. In this regard, the Series X didn’t represent a significant leap over the Xbox One, at least not as much as the transition between the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Subsequently, Microsoft shifted its focus to promoting Game Pass. From this position, Microsoft can respond by continuing to produce more affordable consoles than the PlayStation or, alternatively, by enhancing Game Pass to broaden its availability across a wider range of devices beyond the Xbox ecosystem.
And then there’s Nintendo. Nintendo has also entered the realm of upgraded consoles with the release of the OLED version of the Nintendo Switch. The ball is now in Nintendo’s court, considering some people expect the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. Rumors suggest it’s going to be more of an iteration than a revolution. However, if a big technological leap finally happens, Nintendo’s new console could potentially challenge PlayStation in its own domain. Yet, it’s important to note that these gaming systems cater to different segments of gamers.
The battle for price. The price of the new Switch 2 can make a big difference in the console war. Unlike Microsoft, Nintendo has never focused on competing in terms of power or price. However, it may make a significant impact again, given that the Switch is the third best-selling console in history. For many years, Nintendo’s focus hasn’t been on technical power, but the price of the Switch 2 may be the most strategic decision the company will make in a long time.
Image | Sony
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