Source: AFP
Sony announced on Tuesday that it will release an upgraded version of its flagship game console with better graphics and artificial intelligence capabilities on November 7, calling it the PlayStation 5 Pro.
The Japanese company’s gaming division has struggled this year, with the PlayStation 5 missing its sales targets and PlayStation announcing 900 job cuts in February.
The gaming industry is struggling with a wider recession as the investment that poured into the industry during Covid has largely dried up.
In a short video announcement, PlayStation chief architect Mark Cerny showed off the capabilities of the new console, which will retail for between $700 and €800, roughly €250 more than the current PlayStation 5.
It trumpeted hardware improvements that allowed games to run much faster, with better light rendering and an AI system that delivered sharper images.
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“Simply put, it’s the most powerful console we’ve ever built and a worthy addition to the PS5 family,” he said.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed out that Sony had already tried to boost sales of its previous console by releasing a professional version in 2016.
But the PlayStation 4 Pro had limited impact, Ahmad wrote in X, because it was “a premium product tailored for a niche audience.”
“What will really boost PS5 sales is the lower price on entry-level models (and games like GTA6),” he wrote, referring to the upcoming “Grand Theft Auto” sequel.
“Unleash the Potential”
Sony announced in an accompanying statement that PlayStation 5 games will be playable on the new console.
The statement also listed titles that would be available in enhanced versions, including “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows,” “Hogwarts Legacy” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.”
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“We are proud of the impact PS5 is having on the gaming industry,” said Hideaki Nishino, CEO of the Platform Business Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment.
He said the console gave game creators the opportunity to “realize their vision and reach millions of players around the world,” adding that creators would now be able to “unleash the potential” of even more advanced hardware.
Along with its long-term problems, the PlayStation has endured a tumultuous few weeks.
The Japanese publisher pulled the plug on space shooter “Concord” just two weeks after its release earlier this month following disastrous sales figures.
The game reportedly took eight years to develop.
On the same day, ‘Astro Bot’, a game exclusively for its console developed by a subsidiary in Japan, received critical acclaim.
Review aggregator Metacritic posted a score of 94 out of 100 for “Astro Bot”, placing it among the best-reviewed recent releases.
Source: AFP
