Sony’s PS5 Pro launched on November 7 but there are indications it is already selling better than the PS4 Pro within the same period—notwithstanding the $700 price tag. The company’s CFO Hiroki Totoki suggested in a recent statement.
Sony’s CFO Hiroki Totoki
According to Totoki who also doubles as the COO, the PS5 Pro is “performing slightly stronger” than the PS4 Pro did in 2016. However, he noted that Sony wasn’t expecting “large sales” since the PS5 Pro is a niche product targeted at high-end gamers.
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“It is a high-end product targeted at core customers, so we haven’t been eyeing a large sales plan to begin with,” Totoki said according to a report by Nikkei Asia.
“I’m under the impression that the product is performing slightly stronger than the pre-orders of the PS4 Pro during the same period, so I don’t think it is adversely affecting the product’s sales plan.”
Sony’s goal in releasing the PS5 Pro was to eliminate the situation where gamers were forced to choose between Fidelity and Performance settings. In other words, they would have to sacrifice some visual fidelity for performance. With PS5 Pro, players can enjoy the best version of any game without sacrificing anything.
PS5 Pro scalpers are selling at a loss
When the PS5 console launched, there was a severe shortage, partly due to chip supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scalpers mopped up the product from the market and resold it for outrageous amounts.
Some scalpers likely anticipated the same shortage with the PS5 Pro which clearly didn’t happen. As reported by VGC, some sellers on eBay UK currently have the console listed for prices slightly below the official £700 retail price. Several sellers have Buy It Now consoles on sale for £680 – £700.
This is not only a UK problem. The same issue was seen in Japan. According to Otaku Research Institute, the PS5 Pro appears to be sold out at most Japanese retailers, some stores were selling it throughout most of the launch day without the need for reservations.
On Mercari (a Japanese resale site), the console is reportedly selling for ¥10,000 – ¥20,000 ($65 – $130) above the official retail price. However, Otaku Research Institute said it is likely because Mercari takes a 10% cut and shipping costs must be considered too. Thus, many re-sellers are either just breaking even or taking slight losses.
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Since only the digital version of the PS5 Pro was launched, scalpers have now turned to the disc drive to make brisk profits. The actual price of the disc drive was supposed to be $79.99 / £99.99. However, it is now sold for as high as £150 – £250.
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