I’m excited to get a more powerful PlayStation 5 later this year. I’ve set aside the money for it and I’m ready to buy it when pre-orders go live later this month. And weirdly, admitting this online will likely lead to people yelling at me.
Before Sony revealed its long-rumored PS5 Pro earlier this week, I didn’t expect it to make much of a splash. I figured some people would be happy to buy a better console, others would dismiss it, and most would just not even have an opinion. Boy, was I wrong! It turns out that the $700 PS5 Pro is the latest online warzone where people are taking sides, sharing spicy takes, harassing people they disagree with, and generally just going feral over every part of it. It’s wild to watch.
Yet despite all this, I’m still happily going to buy a PS5 Pro later this year. Why? Well, to be blunt about it: I want a better PlayStation and I’m willing to spend $700 on it.
I know that sounds ludicrous to some people. And that’s fine. In reality, every video game console is a wild luxury that a lot of people in this world can’t afford, and some are just more luxurious and expensive than others. I acknowledge that $700 is a lot of money to ask for a game console, but what Sony is offering for that price seems like a fair trade to me, a person who owns a big dumb fancy 4K TV in his basement.
I want to be sure that when a new game comes out in 2025, I’ll have the most powerful console option available to play it. (Assuming said game arrives on PS5.) I want higher resolutions and framerates. I want cleaner images that are less fuzzy. I want raytraced lighting and shadows. I want increased draw distances. I want Grand Theft Auto 6 to look as sharp and run as perfectly as possible. I care about that stuff. Even if you can’t tell the difference or don’t care, which is fair, I notice these things. And I’m willing to spend $700 to get all these improvements.
I already have a gaming PC, too!
“But why not just buy a high-end PC?!” I hear some folks scream. Well, I have one already. And I play a lot of games on it. It’s great. But I also spend every day of the week working in my home office on my PC. The last thing I want to do once I’m done working is continue to sitting at that desk in order to play a game. For me, playing games on a console offers a more comfy, laid back experience that doesn’t feel like I’m at work.
And yes, I can run an HDMI cable from my PC to my TV and play games on the couch. I know. I’ve done that before. But sometimes I’m tired and I want to crawl onto my comfy loveseat and play a video game on my big dumb TV. I don’t want to mess with drivers, or cables, or multiple launchers. I just want to hit play on Astro Bot and feel good for two hours or so. With a PS5 Pro, I’ll be able to do that and the games will look and play better in ways I appreciate and care about. Seems good to me?
As someone who grew up not being able to buy new consoles due to money being tight, I love buying the latest PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo device because it feels good. It’s a little treat for myself, a way to say, “Hey, good job saving your money and being responsible. Enjoy this dumb new tech thing.”
I understand that not everyone can afford a PS5 Pro. I don’t have kids. I live in Kansas. My cost of living is low. So I have savings and “fun money.” Not everyone does and if you can’t afford a PS5 Pro I’m not shaming you or saying you can’t be sad about it. I’m just explaining that I can afford this. It won’t screw me over or hold me back from paying other bills. I’m a responsible (more or less) adult who has decided that I want a more capable console and I’m going to buy it and enjoy it. You can yell at me on Twitter, but I’ll probably just block you.
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