Summary

  • PS5 Pro pre-orders will be exclusive to PlayStation Direct for two weeks in supported regions.
  • The PlayStation Direct exclusivity period will start on September 26 and end on October 10.
  • Buyers in regions with PlayStation Direct will have to wait for the exclusivity period to conclude if they want to pre-order a PS5 Pro from third-party retailers.

Sony has confirmed that PS5 Pro pre-orders will be temporarily exclusive to PlayStation Direct in supported regions. Pre-orders for the PS5 Pro are set to go live on September 26, but prospective buyers may not have the option to secure the upcoming console through third-party retailers for some time if they live in a region where PlayStation Direct is available.

After a months-long build-up of anticipation, Sony formally announced the PS5 Pro in a recently-streamed technical presentation. The upgraded mid-generation console boasts some big improvements over the current PS5's graphical capabilities, with nearly 50 games confirmed to feature PS5 Pro upgrades when it launches on November 7. However, the PS5 Pro's asking price has been a hot topic among fans, with many considering $700 too steep for a console. Some even reckon that it prices out a lot of people who were formerly looking to buy a PS5 Pro, and are supposedly better off building a PC instead.

ps5 pro inflation comparison
PS5 Pro Price Compared to Past PlayStation Consoles When Adjusted for Inflation

This is how the PS5 Pro's massive price tag compares to past PlayStation consoles when adjusted for inflation.

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For those unfazed by the PS5 Pro's exorbitant price tag, though, the pre-order process for the console has a new wrinkle. Sony recently amended the PS5 Pro announcement post on PlayStation.Blog, confirming that PS5 Pro pre-orders will now open first on PlayStation Direct for two weeks, beginning September 26 and ending October 10. This means that PS5 Pro buyers who live in regions covered by PlayStation Direct won't have the option to pre-order the enthusiast console from any other retailer during the two-week exclusivity period. Regions unsupported by PlayStation Direct won't be affected by this change.

PS5 Pro Pre-Orders Won't Be Available Outside PlayStation Direct for Two Weeks

Regions Where PlayStation Direct is Available

  • USA
  • UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Belgium
  • The Netherlands
  • Luxembourg

PS5 Pro Pre-Order Details

  • Commencing September 26
  • Exclusive to PlayStation Direct until October 10 in the aforementioned regions
  • Regions without PlayStation Direct will rely on participating third-party retailers
  • PS5 Pro Price: $699.99

Prior to this switch-up, the PS5 Pro could be pre-ordered at both PlayStation Direct and participating third-party retailers from the get-go, but it seems Sony wants to funnel prospective buyers into its own digital storefront. This could end up hurting the PS5 Pro's initial sales performance, as buyers looking to take advantage of potential trade-in offers and/or other incentives from third-party retailers may be dissuaded by the PlayStation Direct exclusivity period for PS5 Pro pre-orders.

The PS5 Pro's high price has already stirred up a fair bit of controversy, and now the two-week pre-order exclusivity period for Sony's own storefront is unlikely to help matters whatsoever. Hopefully, Sony plans on demoing the PS5 Pro in real-time at the PlayStation booth during Tokyo Game Show 2024. A live presentation alongside some new tentpole first-party announcements might do well to alleviate some of the negative sentiments surrounding the PS5 Pro's value proposition.

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ps5 pro
PlayStation 5 Pro
Display card main info widget
4K Capability
Yes
What's Included
DualSense Controller, Power Supply
Brand
Sony
Storage
2TB SSD
CPU
8-core Zen 2
Connectivity
IEEE 802.11be
Display card main info widget end

Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro is the mid-generation evolution of the PS5, one that comes with an improved GPU and 2TB of storage space. The graphics card is advertised to offer 67% more compute units than the base PS5, along with 28% faster memory. The PS5 Pro also uses AI to offer an enhanced resolution for 4K TV and Advanced Ray Tracing.

The console does not come with a disc drive or a vertical stand, both of which are sold separately.

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Audio
Tempest 3D AudioTech (In Supported Games)
RAM
16GB