Sony has responded to the PS5 Pro’s controversial price, also revealing that the console was in development before the PS5 was released.
In a recent interview with IGNPlayStation Senior Principal Product Manager Toshi Aoki confirmed that discussions about the mid-generation console were already underway before the PS5’s launch in 2020, as “technologies continue to evolve every year.”
“We started talking about it before the PS5 actually came out…because the PS5 specs were already set,” Aoki said. “We were ready for launch and everything…”
When speaking further about the PS5 Pro’s specs, Aoki explained that the console’s AI upscaling technology — PlayStation Spectral Super Revolution (PSSR) — wasn’t available for the PS5 at the time of development.
“I think it’s more from a technology standpoint of… Even the AI upscaling, it’s not easy… it takes time to get there…” he said. “So because we were trying to get the best of both worlds… that’s why we’ve invested in looking at the other ways that we can get games into that space for high fidelity 60 FPS.
“That’s why we chose to scale AI. We researched and developed it.”
When the PS5 Pro was officially announced earlier this month, its $700 price tag made quite the splash , but Aoki says the console’s slew of new features, including PSSR technology, 8K support, and more, more likely justify the price.
“Well, the technologies that I just mentioned, we’re leveraging to bring new experiences to gamers. And we’re not just talking about the technological differences, but also the SSD, the Wi-Fi 7, and the new technologies that surround the gameplay,” Aoki said.
“So it’s more of a total package that offers exceptional added value to the players… the most committed players are who we’re targeting.”
For those who prefer to play physical games, the optional disk drive is required, bringing the total price to $800.
According to Aoki, offering a separate disk drive as an optional purchase is intended to give players more choice and is “more of a balance in the value proposition that we’re providing.”
“Well, with the PS5 Pro we’re bringing all these new technological innovations, and we’ve added the two terabyte SSD, as well as Wi-Fi 7. We believe it’s a complete package that’s right for most players,” he said.
“For the disc drive, it’s an option for players. Not all players have discs, although most players do… but we have the option to add that for those players. So I think it’s more of a balance of the value proposition that we’re providing.”