Sony (c. 2005) Is So Back

The PS5 Pro is bananas.

Author

Robert Scarpinito
September 13, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

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The PlayStation 5 Pro(bably Costs Too Much)

Is It Inflation or an Inflated Ego?

Sony has revealed the PlayStation 5 Pro, featuring 45% faster graphics rendering, up to 3x faster ray tracing, and a $700 crater in your bank account. It also has PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, or PSSR, an AI-driven upscaling tech that’s similar to Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR.

It’s slated to launch on Nov. 7, with preorders opening on Sept. 26. But realistically, who’s preordering this? And I mean that genuinely—if you’re preordering this, reach out. I’d love to chat and understand why.

Most of the discourse online has harped on the loss of a disc drive, and the vertical stand in the image above isn’t even included. If you want the whole package, you’re looking at $810 before taxes.

And don’t forget, if you’d like one extra controller, that’s another $75 or $80—because Sony raised those prices by $5 on Monday. So before other accessories, like a headset, controller stands, or even the PlayStation VR 2, you’re easily looking at nearly $1,000 after tax for a fresh ticket to the PS5 Pro ecosystem.

Will the PS5 Pro Be a Teraflop?

On one hand, there’s a lot of horsepower in this new PS5 Pro, if all the numbers check out in practice. Building a beefy PC rig of equal power would likely cost more and come with more headaches than a plug-and-play console.

But practically speaking, how much effective improvement are we really seeing in the Pro? The side-by-side comparisons made it clear as day: There wasn’t that big a leap in fidelity.

I’m one of the 75% of PS5 players who predominantly play in performance mode because I prefer the buttery smooth responsiveness. Nice graphics are great and all, but they’re not worth $700, especially if the boost is in some tiny leaves and faraway shadows that I won’t notice while I’m playing.

That’s all assuming you can get it at retail price on launch. But if you got a PS5 within the first year of its launch, you’ll know the story isn’t that easy. Scalpers and stocking issues caused people to either overpay or wait longer just to play without limits.

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A Bad News Cycle for Sony

The $700 mega console isn’t the only weird thing on Sony’s plate this week. Former Sony boss Chris Deering was recently on the podcast My Perfect Console (ironic name, all things considered), and he had some choice words about the recent layoffs that have taken over the industry.

He said having skills in game development won't result in a "lifetime of poverty or limitation,” and that employees who are laid off should "take a few, figure out how to get through it, drive an Uber or whatever, go off to find a cheap place to live and go to the beach for a year.”

Bosses of companies like Sony probably make more than enough money to never need anything again. So to him, “not having to work” is probably synonymous with “let’s take a vacation.” If you know anyone that works in games, that likely isn’t the case for them.

And finally, Bungie has announced that Destiny 2 is moving to two expansions a year, a big change from their one-a-year cadence for the past few cycles.

While not inherently a bad thing, to me, it shows Sony’s bigger push toward live service games. Some recent expansions were met positively, while others not so much. But if they publish more often, surely that’ll keep wallets more engaged, right?

Maybe that’s the cynic in me, but it’s hard to be optimistic with how greedy Sony has seemed lately. The $700 console is truly baffling and comes across as arrogant, just like the initial PS3 price point. But hey, at least we’re getting a new Welcome Hub on PS5?

Microsoft has laid off around 650 more employees in its gaming division, largely roles in “corporate and supporting functions.” This is a direct result of the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition, bringing Xbox’s layoff score to more than 2,500 human beings this year.

Game developers at Annapurna Interactive were trying to spin off and become a company independent of the Annapurna creative family. As of now, Annapurna still plans to maintain its ongoing slate of games, with plans to replace staff members who have left.

In an open letter to the company, AJ Investments has criticized Ubisoft for its lackluster recent releases, along with claims that it’s underutilizing its IP. If you ask me, Splinter Cell is doing just fine—isn’t going by undetected the whole point?

A voice actor for the Magic: The Gathering Netflix series, which was announced in 2019, confirmed in an interview that the series had been cancelled at some point before its previously scheduled 2022 release.

What’s New This Week?

For friend groups who love getting into stiff competitions, this R-rated Jackbox pack will give you new way to explore just how uncomfortable the room can get. You can leave your clean jokes at the door, because this party pack delivers.

Our reviewer Andrew Stretch also interviewed the Naughty Pack’s director about how the team created a safe space for not-safe-for-work jokes that would make everyone feel welcome—and able to make dirty in-group jokes.

You may feel like you’ve seen it all with Mario Party, but Jamboree’s online features are adding new twists to the formula that could revitalize the formula. The Koopathon especially sounds interesting, and you can read more about it in Andrew Otton’s preview.

Astro Bot Was a W for Sony, at Least

On this week’s podcast, Stretch and Austin Suther told me about just how great Astro Bot is. And spoiler alert: They convinced me enough that I got the game for myself. I guess Stretch’s review was pretty convincing, too.

I’ve only completed the first galaxy at the time of writing, but I plan on finishing this one as soon as I can. And I don’t feel like I need a PS5 Pro to play this game better, either. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Astro Bot.