Look at it. Just look! Divisive as the original PlayStation 5's design was (maybe still is?), I personally love its spaceship-like looks – and the just-announced PlayStation 5 Pro takes that aesthetic and adds a visual twist in the form of a functional air-vent that gives the new model its own point of distinction.
But while it might look great, one thing I inevitably like less is the PS5 Pro's asking price: it's set to be £699/$699/AU$1,200 for the digital-only console, which goes on sale from 7 November. Add the Blu-ray disc drive – that's another £99/$79/AU$160. Oh, and there's no stand included – so that's some more cash if you want to position your PS5 Pro vertically.
But am I put off? Nope! I still want a PS5 Pro. After all, it'll be the most powerful console on the planet, I don't have space for a PC rig (nor can such a setup run Sony's exclusive PlayStation titles), and the benefit of that additional power – the graphics processor boasts 67% more compute units than the original PS5 – will mean smoother gameplay and greater fidelity too.
But here's the thing: can someone please offer interest-free credit? Like, c'mon Sony, as a UK resident I'd happily put 20% down up front and then pay the £50.84 for the next 11 months to own this mothership of all consoles.
And, no, I don't want a loan from Barclays. Or a 'Plan It' option from American Express. These third-party plans are available to many of us, of course, but my AMEX card would want £65.73 per month – netting the financial service £7.48 extra for each of those months and, well, ultimately adding almost a hundred quid more to my overall PS5 Pro purchase bill.
We speak a lot about value here at T3. Because, sure, the PS5 Pro is expensive – but it also clearly has inherent value and is a desirable product well ahead of its on-sale date. It's worth its outlay, I'm sure – and I already have a bunch of PS5 accessories that will still function with it – but I'm just trying to speak up for the people.
Chances are I'll pre-order the console anyway, as I suspect it'll have such high demand that early allocation will sell out quickly. Here's hoping there are no availability issues like with the original PS5 launch. I suspect the price point may limit that somewhat, but with the PS Portal also super-difficult to obtain upon its release, Sony PlayStation kit is hot property right now...
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Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.