Ex Blizzard Boss Gets Skewered for Justifying PS5 Pro’s Gargantuan $700 Price Tag

After months of rumors and speculation, Sony has finally unveiled the PS5 Pro. The much-anticipated beefier version of the bestselling PS5 is supposed to be a big step forward for the Japanese company in terms of quality and power. However, the overall community response has mostly been negative due to the fact that the console’s price is simply absurd.

The PS5 Pro will cost $699.99 at launch, as revealed by PlayStation’s official YouTube channel. This makes it $200 more than the base PS5 model that at least debuted with a disc drive when it launched way back in 2020. Amidst this meltdown, the former Blizzard president has shared his thoughts on the new console’s controversial price tag, which has fumed gamers further.

Gamers Bash Ex Blizzard Boss For Supporting PS5 Pro Price Shenanigans

There’s no denying the fact that $699 is simply just way too much money, especially in current economic times. The price would’ve made sense if the console had brought something new to the table, but it failed in that department.

The PS5 Pro lacks features such as a disc drive, which means gamers have to purchase an additional accessory to play all their physical games, which can push the overall price to $800! Even the official stand revealed in Sony’s presentation doesn’t come with the console.

However, Blizzard’s ex-president, Mike Ybarra, thinks gamers need to see the price tag from a different point of view. According to him, the console is mainly targeted towards audiences that want to upgrade, and Sony is factoring in the existing trade-in and resale values to lower the barrier of entry further.

Former Blizzard boss says the $700 PS5 Pro is really more like a $350 upgrade because it’s aimed at people who can trade in their PS5s at “places like GameStop”
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It’s quite clear that Ybarra is clearly out of touch with what gamers had hoped for with the PlayStation 5 Pro. Fans have taken to social media to express their outrage, pointing out how this ridiculous logic doesn’t make sense.

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What’s absurd is the fact that right before the PlayStation 5 Pro announcement, the base console’s trade-in values were reduced.

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Seriously, who’s willing to pay $350 dollars after trading in your old console just to experience the most negligible upgrades?

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Considering how badly shops such as GameStop treat trade-in values for consoles, there’s no way gamers would have worthwhile deals.

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With this logic, it makes sense why Ybarra is a former boss of one of the most hated companies in the gaming industry and not a current one.

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The PlayStation 5 Pro was arguably one of the most anticipated consoles for a while now; fans were expecting more than Sony from whatever this diabolical reveal was. At a $600 price tag, with the omission of key features and barely any improvement, it’s better for gamers to just buy a PC and play the latest games in their full glory.

Analysts Believe PlayStation 5 Pro Will Sell Like Hot Pancakes

The discourse around PlayStation 5 Pro suggests that the console will be a disaster when it launches due to its steep price point. However, a recent report from Ampere Analysis counters that notion. The report states that while the console is much pricier than the PS4 Pro, it will end up selling around 1.3 million units this year.

The number is quite a step down from the 1.7 million PS4 Pro units sold on a time-aligned basis, but each PlayStation 5 Pro sale will profit the company more due to its higher price point.

The firm also believes that the overall sales of the latest console will keep up with those of the PS4 Pro. PlayStation 5 Pro is expected to reach 13 million units sold by 2029, reaching quite close to PS4 Pro’s 14.5 million lifetime sales.

There’s no doubt that the console’s sales would be driven up by Rockstar’s upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, which is all set to launch in fall 2025. There’s even an exclusive deal between Sony and Rockstar for the game’s marketing rights, which could entail a lot of perks for the PlayStation 5 consoles.

With that said, are you planning to purchase the PS5 Pro? If so, let us know in the comments below.