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How PS5 Pro’s Price Compares With Other Launch Consoles – IGN

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How PS5 Pro’s Price Compares With Other Launch Consoles – IGN

After months of rumors we finally got our first look at the PlayStation 5 Pro. Shortly after, we had to pick up our eyeballs after they all popped out of our skulls when we found out that the Pro model will retail for a whopping $699.99 USD.

At $699.99, the PlayStation 5 Pro will be one of the most expensive home consoles ever released (it’s even more expensive in Europe and Japan, retailing for around $880 and $850 respectively). And while PlayStation is boasting big upgrades to the GPU, ray-tracing, and AI, the jury’s out on whether those “three pillars,” as lead architect Mark Cerny calls them, justify the price.

It also got us thinking about how the PlayStation 5 Pro’s price compares to what other consoles cost at launch and, after a little digging, the numbers we found were certainly surprising. Below we’ve listed the launch price for every main PlayStation hardware release, plus we’ve adjusted them for inflation to draw a better comparison with the PS5 Pro’s $700 price tag. We’ve also thrown in a handful of other major consoles, just to really see how things compare.

PS5 Pro Versus Other PlayStations

The PS5 Pro is the most expensive PlayStation console ever released by Sony. And that’s not even including the optional disc-drive and stand, which adds another $110 on top of the $700 retail price. Even compared to past Pro models, the PS5 Pro is an outlier.

When the PlayStation 4 was released in 2013, it retailed for $399 USD. Three years later, the PS4 Pro was released and cost… $399 USD. And while today $500 consoles are becoming normalized, the PS5 Pro’s $700 asking price is still head-spinning.

In fact, only one PlayStation console has the PS5 Pro beat in terms of price. Can you guess which one?

PlayStation 1

The very first PlayStation was released in 1995 and retailed for $299 USD. Adjusted for inflation, the PS1 would cost $613 USD in 2024. Pretty spicy considering the kind of consoles we can get for that much money nowadays, but the ’90s were certainly a different time.

PlayStation 2

<b>PlayStation 2 – 2000</b><br><br /><br><br />Launch price: $299 USD<br><br /><br><br />Adjusted for inflation: $446.64 USD

The GOAT console itself, the PS2 was released in 2000 and cost $299 USD. Adjusted for inflation, the PS2 would cost $545 USD in 2024. Worth every penny.

PlayStation 3

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The PlayStation 3 was released in 2006 and, as immortalized by the memes, the 60GB model retailed for $599 USD. While Sony quickly cut the price of the console soon afterwards, the damage was already done. Adjusted for inflation, that same sticker price is now $934 USD in 2024, making it the one console more expensive than the PS5 Pro at launch. Even the “cheaper” 20GB model, which cost $499 back in 2006, would cost $778. No wonder it’s the worst-selling mainline PlayStation console of all time.

PlayStation 3 Slim

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The PS3 Slim, one of the best console redesigns in history in my opinion, also dramatically reduced the cost over the original PS3 when it was released in 2009 for $299 USD. Adjusted for inflation, that’s around $436 USD in 2024. Much better, Sony, but maybe too little too late.

PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4 Slim

Sony clearly learned from its mistake with the PS3, so when the PS4 was released in 2013 it was priced at a modest $399 USD. Adjusted for inflation, that comes to around $533 USD in 2024.

PlayStation 4 Pro

PlayStation 4 Pro

The first mid-cycle refresh from PlayStation, the PS4 Pro included additional horsepower and storage. Not quite the three pillars included with the PS5 Pro, but a nice upgrade for anyone who wanted to play Red Dead Redemption 2 without their console overheating. When it was released in 2016 it cost the same as the launch PS4 at $399 USD. Adjusted for inflation, that is $517 USD in 2024.

PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 5 Digital

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The base PS5 and PS5 Digital split the PlayStation line for the first time, and into two different price brackets. Both released in 2020, the PS5 with the disc drive cost $499.99 USD at launch, or $596.83 when adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, the all-digital PS5 cost $399.99, or $477.46 USD when adjusted for inflation.

PlayStation 5 Slim

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In 2023, Sony released the relatively low-key PS5 Slim, which actually isn’t all that much smaller than the base PS5. The main feature is the detachable disc drive, which you can either buy bundled with the system for $499.99 USD, or $516.75 when adjusted for inflation; or just the digital Slim for $449.99, or $465.07 USD when adjusted for inflation.

PlayStation 5 Pro

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And as we all know, the PS5 Pro will retail at $699.99 USD when it goes on pre-order later this month. Wowza.

The PS5 Pro Compared to Other Consoles

But what about other game consoles at launch – how does the PS5 Pro compare to them? Well, I’m here to report that even with adjustments for inflation, the PS5 Pro handily beats out the competition, though a couple of systems do come close.

Here’s a handful of other consoles and how they compare to the PS5 Pro launch price.

NES

<h3>13. NES/Famicom – 61.91 million</h3><br /><br><br /><b>Initial release date:</b> July 15, 1983 (JP)<br><br /><b>Production status:</b> Ended<br><br /><b>Highest-rated games (according to IGN; Metacritic data not available):</b> Super Mario Bros. 3 (95), The Legend of Zelda (90), Super Mario Bros. (90)<br><br /><br><br />Nintendo's official numbers put NES sales at over 61 million units. The most senior entry on this list, Nintendo's first console went on to generate over 500 million units of software sales.

The original NES was released in 1985 and retailed for $179 USD in North America. With inflation that comes to $521 USD in 2024.

Sega Genesis

<h3>17. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive – 35 million*</h3><br /><b>Initial release date:</b> October 29, 1988 (JP)<br><br /><b>Production status:</b> Ended<br><br /><b>Highest-rated games:</b> Ristar (89), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (89), Shining Force 2 (89)<br><br><br />*The sales total of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is a topic of much debate among game historians. The actual figure is impossible to lock down given the lack of concrete data, but estimates generally range from 30 to 40 million units. Late Sega executive Joe Miller once said system sales passed 40 million, though that number is highly contested and seemingly contradicted by Sega’s available sales data. Compilations of that data — from internet researchers and professional research firms — show first-party console sales hit somewhere between 28 and 31 million units.<br><br><br />Add in estimated third-party console sales from companies such as TecToy in Brazil (where the console performed well into the 2010s) and Majesco in North America, and we arrive at our ballpark figure of 35 million — a number seemingly corroborated by a 2017 press release from Sega partner AtGames.

Sega was also releasing consoles around this time and in 1989 it released the Sega Genesis for $189 USD, or $481 USD after adjusting for inflation.

SNES

<b>Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) </b> <br> <i>November 21, 1990 (JP) / August 23, 1991 (NA)</i><br>Nintendo’s follow-up to the NES was the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES. The 16-bit console, with its revamped controller and enhanced graphical capabilities, ended up being the most best-selling of that era — even with the competition from Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis, which was released two years prior, cost less, and had a larger game library.<br><br /><br />But even with Sega’s initial lead, the SNES continued to go strong in the 32-bit era. Classics like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario Kart, Star Fox, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Super Metroid, and more sold millions of copies, earning the SNES its place as one of the most successful and important consoles in history.

A few years later, in 1991, Nintendo released the SNES. At launch the SNES cost $199 USD, or $456 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Sega Dreamcast

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The last of the Sega consoles, the Dreamcast was released in 1998 and retailed for $199 USD, or $372 USD in 2024 after adjusting for inflation.

Nintendo 64

<b>Nintendo 64 (N64) </b> <br> <i>June 23, 1996 (JP) / September 29, 1996 (NA)</i><br> Nintendo completely skipped the 32-bit era with the Nintendo 64. Named for its 64-bit CPU, the N64 was Nintendo’s third home console released internationally, and the last (up until the Nintendo Switch) to use cartridges. It was also the first console with built-in four player functionality.<br><br /><br />But as distinct and iconic as the Nintendo 64’s physical hardware was, its library of games is still one of the most impressive. Classics like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, Super Smash Bros., Star Fox 64, and way more helped redefine popular genres for the modern, 3D era, leaving a lasting impression on gaming forever.

The N64 was released in 1996 and cost $199 USD at launch, or $372 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Xbox

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The original Xbox was gunning right for the PS2 throne when it was released in 2001. At launch it cost $299 USD, or with inflation, $527 USD in 2024. As a reminder, the PS2 was released a year earlier also for $299 USD at launch.

Nintendo GameCube

<h3>21. GameCube – 21.74 million</h3><br /><b>Initial release date:</b> September 14, 2001 (JP)<br><br /><b>Production status:</b> Ended<br><br /><b>Highest-rated games:</b> Metroid Prime (97), Resident Evil 4 (96), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (96)<br><br><br />The GameCube ended its run with 21.74 million units sold, according to Nintendo’s official numbers, making it the company’s second-worst-selling console to date. However, with 208.57 million software units sold, the number of games sold per console is the highest for any Nintendo system at 9.59.

Nintendo kept things simple for its N64 follow-up, releasing the GameCube in 2001 for $199 USD, or $351 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Xbox 360

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Xbox’s most-successful console ever, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005 and launched with a retail price of $299 USD, or $482 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Wii

<h3>7. Nintendo Wii – 101.63 million</h3><br /><br><br /><b>Initial release date:</b> November 19, 2006 (NA)<br><br /><b>Production status:</b> Ended<br><br /><b>Highest-rated games:</b> Super Mario Galaxy (97), Super Mario Galaxy 2 (97), The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (95)<br><br /><br><br />According to official sales figures from Nintendo, Wii ended its run as the sixth-best-selling console of all time. With over 100 million systems sold, Wii generated 920 million units of software sales — the second most for any Nintendo console.

Nintendo chose a different tact for the Wii, focusing on a novel motion-control system rather than going toe-to-toe with Xbox and PlayStation on graphics. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and cost $249 USD at launch, or $388 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Wii U

<h3>26. Wii U – 13.56 million</h3><br /><b>Initial release date:</b> November 18, 2012 (NA)<br><br /><b>Production status:</b> Ended<br><br /><b>Highest-rated games:</b> The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (96), Super Mario 3D World (93), Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (92)<br><br><br />With 13.56 million units sold, according to official sales data, Wii U is Nintendo’s worst-selling console of all time by a wide margin. However, as former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé told CNN, the lessons learned from Wii U were crucial in propelling the Switch to success.

The forgotten Wii U was released a few year later in 2012 and cost $299 USD at launch, or $406 USD after adjusting for inflation. The less said about this, the better.

Xbox One

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Xbox’s own hardware mishap, the Xbox One, was billed as an all-in-one entertainment system rather than purely a game console. It was also priced at an astounding $499 USD when it was released in 2013, or $667 USD after adjusting for inflation. This is the closest a non-PlayStation console gets to the cost of the PS5 Pro.

Xbox One X

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Xbox also introduced a sleeker, mid-cycle upgrade with the Xbox One X. This model was also priced at $499 USD when it was released in 2017, or $634 USD after adjusting for inflation.

Xbox Series X & S

<b>Grand Total: $1,095 / £1,000 / AU$1,630</b><br><br /><br><br />Our “maxed out” next-gen build includes an Xbox Series X, Elite Series 2 controller, two additional controllers, three rechargeable battery packs, and a 1TB storage expansion card, bringing our grand total to $1,095 USD / £1,000 / AU$1,630, which isn't too far off from the average cost of just a Series X on the resale market.

Whereas Sony’s dual PS5 offerings have the same specs and power, and only differ when it comes to a physical media player, the differences between Microsoft’s dual-console offerings were more dramatic. The Xbox Series X and S don’t just differ on price, but the Series X boasts a far more impressive spec-sheet than the Series S. As such, the Series X retailed for $499.00 USD at launch, or $596.83 USD after inflation, while the Series S retailed for $299.99 USD, or $358.09 USD after inflation. Both systems were released in 2020.

Nintendo Switch

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Seven years old and still going strong, the Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The hybrid system was released in 2017 and retailed for $299.99 USD, or $381.15 USD after adjusting for inflation. All eyes are on the upcoming Switch successor, and who knows how Nintendo will price that next system.

And there you have it. The PS5 Pro’s price is certainly shocking, though history shows there have certainly been other expensive consoles at launch. While the PS5 Pro boasts some impressive upgrades, it remains to be seen whether they’re enough to get customers on board at the suggested retail price.

For more on the PS5 Pro, check out every game that will be enhanced for the new system, and the internet’s reaction to the mondo price tag.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

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