Proactive Investors - Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY) has unveiled a long-awaited, more powerful version of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and a hiked price to go with it.
The company’s PlayStation 5 Pro will come out on November 9 and cost £699 or US$699, Sony said in a statement, at over £300 more than the original.
Sony hailed the console as its most advanced yet, with the Pro set to boast a new graphics processing unit and the likes of artificial intelligence to improve image quality.
This comes four years after the original PS5 was launched, with the latest model mirroring the design of the digital version and not including a disc drive as a result.
According to lead PS5 architect Mark Cerny, the latest model is designed to prevent gamers from having to choose which mode to play in depending if they want better visuals or smoother-running programmes.
Sony’s latest launch comes as the gaming industry faces slowing sales, with the company reporting a drop in quarterly PS5 volumes last month and signalling 18.5 million units would be shipped over the year, against 20.8 million in 2023.
GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring commented the PS5 Pro risked not solving demand issues though, given the console targeted the “most enthusiastic audience”.
That said, the console may have been developed with the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto VI in mind, he pointed out, which has been awaited for years by gamers.
This is expected to be released by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO)’s Rockstar Games next year.
“When GTA 6 does launch, PlayStation will be able to say to players that the game will look best on PS5 Pro,” Dring added.