Sony announced the recent addition of PS5 Pro to its latest-gen console in a 9-minute technical presentation on September 10, 2024. The latest console’s addition was not as widely celebrated as Sony had expected, as it also had a massive impact on the hike in pricing of the base model of the console.
The sales of the base model dropped massively after a significant price hike in Japan. This comes as a shock to players who were expecting the price to stabilize after the announcement of PS5 Pro.
Sales of PS5 Drops Massively In Japan
Japan saw a massive dip in weekly sales as they dropped from 33k units sold last week to just 11k units sold this week. The console is currently priced in Japan at an inflated price of $553, up 19% from the previous price.
This is a worrying stat, as people are furious about the unnecessary price hike put in place to boost the sales of the Pro version of the console. This is a stale strategy adopted by Sony to pave the way for the PS5 Pro’s success, as it is now being considered a useless addition to the PS family.
The steep hit in sales in Japan is not a big worry for Sony as it is not the prime market for the console, and a dip in sales in the country would not affect the future of the console in any way. However, indeed, there are still people who wish to buy the console without spending more than half of their paycheck on it.
PS5 sales in Japan dropped from 37k units sold last week to 11k units sold this week after the PS5 price increase in Japan.https://t.co/CsPvreJDfs pic.twitter.com/jvNJfwGKeJ
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) September 12, 2024
Many people are of the opinion that PS5’s days are now numbered in Japan as Nintendo Switch takes over most of its market.
Damn…but yea it’s been officially over for Sony & PS5 in japan for a while now
Nintendo has the region on complete LockDown 🔒
— NintenGOD (@AesirMalos) September 12, 2024
It is not certain whether the prices will drop anytime soon or not. The only certainty looming in the atmosphere currently is concerning further falls in sales in the following months.
PS5 Pro Does Not Take A Huge Leap With Innovation
The pro version of the console will soon be available for pre-order with a scheduled release later in the year, in November. The console is currently priced at $699.99, which is a luge leap from the price of $459.99 for the base variant.
PS5 Pro offers a better GPU, increased storage, Ray Tracing, and AI upscaling as compared to the base variant. The main point of criticism after the recent announcement has been concerning the price point, especially in Japan, where the base model is currently priced at just $150 less than the pro version.
It is not certain what the future holds for the PS5 Pro and in what other ways it will impact the performance and sale of the base model. What do you think about the sudden price hike in Japan following the announcement of the pro version? Let us know in the comments below.
