Wednesday, September 11th 2024

PlayStation 5 Pro up to 24% Cheaper than PlayStation 3 at its Launch

by
btarunr
 Discuss (39 Comments)
The $699.99 MSRP of the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro is a source of outrage on social media, but what if we told you that the new premium console is in fact cheaper than what the PlayStation 3 cost at launch for even its cheapest variant? Sony launched the PlayStation 3 in 2006, with its cheapest variant that came with a 20 GB hard drive, at $499, in the US. A premium variant with a 60 GB HDD cost $599. Both models included a Blu-ray drive, as physical media was the prevalent mode of game distribution. In comes inflation. $599 in 2006 money is approximately $930 in today's money, while $499 (2006) in today's money is approximately $780.

Even the cheapest variant of the PlayStation 3 cost 11% more at launch than the PlayStation 5 Pro, adjusted by inflation, while the premium variant cost 24% more. The PlayStation 5 Pro is digital-only, and lacks an optical drive, which can be purchased separately for $80. Adding this cost, the PS5 Pro with a separately purchased optical drive costs exactly as much as the base model PlayStation 3 with 20 GB HDD did, back in 2006, adjusted by inflation.
Source: USD inflation calculator (MN Fed bank)

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39 Comments on PlayStation 5 Pro up to 24% Cheaper than PlayStation 3 at its Launch

#1
chrcoluk
If I remember Sony eventually considered it a mistake and made amends later with revised models.

Got a used phat which still works fine sitting right next to me for about £20, great buy, the box was trashed, controller lost by original owner, missing display cable, but psu cable worked fine, brought after market controller, and would have replaced display cable anyway as I outputted it to PC equipment, great buy for me at the time.

I also think the USA to UK pricing was more favourable then, currently USA has favourable pricing from Sony. It never got the earlier price hike for the PS5 and the favourable pricing has continued for the Pro model, so I wonder if the maths work out as well in UK/EU land. Without the current USA subsidy I think the pricing would be at least 800USD for the PS5 Pro.
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#2
freeagent
The difference between now and then, is that times weren't tough back then.

Next gen console to approach 1K. Mark my words.

Do not buy. Price will come down. Easy.
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#3
Dr. Dro
chrcolukIf I remember Sony eventually considered it a mistake and made amends later with revised models.
"Made amends" is quite the light term to describe the foremost example of textbook enshittification in tech. Each and every subsequent revision of the PS3 made the console worse, more cheaply built and less feature complete. If you place an original model A next to a model 4200 superslim next to each other you are going to gag, and this isn't even because the model A PS3 is like, my favorite console ever hardware-wise.
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#4
AusWolf
Price is just one thing. The other thing is game support. Can anyone tell me one game that would make it worth the swap from a regular PS5, or even PS4? (Apart from Stellarblade)
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#5
Konomi
freeagentThe difference between now and then, is that times weren't tough back then.

Next gen console to approach 1K. Mark my words.

Do not buy. Price will come down. Easy.
All prices drop eventually. However, regardless of whether people should or shouldn't buy something, they'll end up doing so anyway.
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#6
chrcoluk
Dr. Dro"Made amends" is quite the light term to describe the foremost example of textbook enshittification in tech. Each and every subsequent revision of the PS3 made the console worse, more cheaply built and less feature complete. If you place an original model A next to a model 4200 superslim next to each other you are going to gag, and this isn't even because the model A PS3 is like, my favorite console ever hardware-wise.
Of course they cut the product to get the price down, but they did that as they realised it was priced too high. Those changes is why I sourced one of the original models.
AusWolfPrice is just one thing. The other thing is game support. Can anyone tell me one game that would make it worth the swap from a regular PS5, or even PS4? (Apart from Stellarblade)
For me its usually not worth it for one game, I brought the PS5 to play FF7 remake as early as possible, but that is highly unusual for me, I have never purchased a console just to play one game before that. FF16 turned out to be a bit of a dud so kind of not happy with the purchase especially with the size of the thing, the controller drifting after only using it for one game, and the dashboard nerf the PS5 got. Optical audio also got cut on the PS5.
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#7
AusWolf
chrcolukFor me its usually not worth it for one game, I brought the PS5 to play FF7 remake as early as possible, but that is highly unusual for me, I have never purchased a console just to play one game before that. FF16 turned out to be a bit of a dud so kind of not happy with the purchase especially with the size of the thing, the controller drifting after only using it for one game, and the dashboard nerf the PS5 got. Optical audio also got cut on the PS5.
There isn't even much else anyway. 99% of PS5 games are available on the PS4 as well. I don't think the majority of users care about the higher resolution or graphics fidelity, especially if they have to buy their games again. As someone said it earlier, we live in tough times, most of us make do with what we've got.
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#8
Quicks
Love how people make excuses to jack up prices all the time. Shouldn't certain things become cheaper to manufacture.

We just going to keep blaming Covid and Jack up prices.
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#9
TheDeeGee
Wasn't the PS3 expensive because of Blu-Ray?
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#10
AusWolf
QuicksShouldn't certain things become cheaper to manufacture.
You'd think so, but no (old article in the link, but still relevant).
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#11
las
Price is obviously going down eventually, however wish they made it Black like the "leaked photos", looked amazing.
TheDeeGeeWasn't the PS3 expensive because of Blu-Ray?
Bluray yes but also an expensive (and somewhat advanced) CPU

I heard they lost money for every PS3 sale, but who knows besides Sony
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#12
Hyderz
I almost didn’t buy my rtx3090 but thanks to the pandemic in 2020 the ps5 was out of stock where I lived and it was out of stock pretty much until 2022 and by then I already gave up on the ps5. Pretty much most of ps titles I can get on pc. So nvidia launched its 30 series and also thanks to scalpers buying up stock everywhere I manage to snag one for msrp back in 2020
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#13
chrcoluk
AusWolfThere isn't even much else anyway. 99% of PS5 games are available on the PS4 as well. I don't think the majority of users care about the higher resolution or graphics fidelity, especially if they have to buy their games again. As someone said it earlier, we live in tough times, most of us make do with what we've got.
Yep I do think it wont sell well, at least as some compensation, the PS4 games I play on the PS5 I can use my working PS4 controller for them.
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#14
MacZ
The PS5 is still $499, but with all the inflation its price has, in fact, dropped.
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#15
TheLostSwede
News Editor
For those interested, this site lists most consoles and the pricing adjusted for inflation. No PS5 Pro yet though. Note that the most recent update is from November 2023.
The Atari 2600 would be the equivalent of US$995 today...
www.inflationstation.net/
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#17
AusWolf
chrcolukYep I do think it wont sell well, at least as some compensation, the PS4 games I play on the PS5 I can use my working PS4 controller for them.
Agreed. Imo, the GOAT of consoles is the PS2, and not because the console itself was really great (old TV resolution, dodgy RCA connector, questionable build quality, etc), but because of the wide range of awesome games available for it. And on disc, too!

Edit: As a comparison, the PS5 (Pro) can be the single awesomest thing in all console existence, it still won't sell if there aren't any games for it to make it worth the upgrade.
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#18
Darc Requiem
lasPrice is obviously going down eventually, however wish they made it Black like the "leaked photos", looked amazing.


Bluray yes but also an expensive (and somewhat advanced) CPU
Is it though? This generation has been strange on the console front. In most regions, the PS5 is more expensive now than it was at launch. I don't think any of the consoles have actually gotten a price cut. Nintendo introduced the Switch Lite at a lower MSRP but it has reduced functionality. The standard Switch model is the same price now as it was in 2017.
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#19
ncrs
lasPrice is obviously going down eventually, however wish they made it Black like the "leaked photos", looked amazing.


Bluray yes but also an expensive (and somewhat advanced) CPU
The first PS3 models contained not only PS3 hardware but also PS2 hardware - integrated Emotion Engine + Graphics Synthesizer chip with separate Rambus RAM for them.
It was later changed to a hybrid hardware/software arrangement, and in late models the PS2 backwards compatibility was eliminated altogether.
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#20
AusWolf
ncrsThe original PS3 models contained not only PS3 hardware but also PS2 hardware - integrated Emotion Engine + Graphics Synthesizer chip with separate Rambus RAM for them.
It was later changed to a hybrid hardware/software arrangement, and in late models the PS2 backwards compatibility was eliminated altogether.
A friend of mine has a PS3 with that hybrid emulation system. Boy, does it run PS2 games like crap! We tried playing some NFS: Underground 2 the other day. Judging with my eyes, it didn't even do 10 FPS. No wonder support was dropped.
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#21
chrcoluk
Dr. Dro"Made amends" is quite the light term to describe the foremost example of textbook enshittification in tech. Each and every subsequent revision of the PS3 made the console worse, more cheaply built and less feature complete. If you place an original model A next to a model 4200 superslim next to each other you are going to gag, and this isn't even because the model A PS3 is like, my favorite console ever hardware-wise.
I just checked my serial its not the best one, mine is CECHC03

Apparently CECH A/B were never released in my region.

Might explain my experience as I remember trying a PS2 game on it, and it felt like it was running on some dodgy emulator. Wasnt even full screen.
AusWolfA friend of mine has a PS3 with that hybrid emulation system. Boy, does it run PS2 games like crap! We tried playing some NFS: Underground 2 the other day. Judging with my eyes, it didn't even do 10 FPS. No wonder support was dropped.
Thats the same model as mine I think. I have the CECHC03, which according to the below link was the hybrid setup, when I brought it I assumed all fat's were full hardware emulation, I guess not.

www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/COK-00x
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#22
Neo_Morpheus
TheDeeGeeWasn't the PS3 expensive because of Blu-Ray?
That and the incredible complex hence expensive to manufacture Cell cpu and who knows how much Ngreedia charged them for the gpu.
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#23
Vayra86
AusWolfA friend of mine has a PS3 with that hybrid emulation system. Boy, does it run PS2 games like crap! We tried playing some NFS: Underground 2 the other day. Judging with my eyes, it didn't even do 10 FPS. No wonder support was dropped.
Okami didnt even run on it at all I believe
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#24
Dr. Dro
Neo_MorpheusThat and the incredible complex hence expensive to manufacture Cell cpu and who knows how much Ngreedia charged them for the gpu.
Nothing to do with that besides at the time, Nvidia was not the behemoth of a company it is today.

The PS3 used some of the highest end hardware available at the time of its development, and the original model had a very complex motherboard which also contained a full set of PS2 hardware within it (console within a console), a high-quality, motorized single-lens Blu-ray disc drive, so many things that made it an incredible, revolutionary machine
chrcolukI just checked my serial its not the best one, mine is CECHC03

Apparently CECH A/B were never released in my region.

Might explain my experience as I remember trying a PS2 game on it, and it felt like it was running on some dodgy emulator. Wasnt even full screen.

Thats the same model as mine I think. I have the CECHC03, which according to the below link was the hybrid setup, when I brought it I assumed all fat's were full hardware emulation, I guess not.

www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/COK-00x
Yeah, EU only received model C, it has the same motherboard used on model E sold in all regions. It's already scaled down, only has GS chip and no EE. I had a CECHE01 as well, but it got the YLOD bad and I tried to fix it, didnt manage to, gave up entirely. Didn't even reassemble it.

Only model A (60 GB with chrome trim, wifi and card reader) and model B (20 GB with full black trim, no wifi or card reader) have the EE/GS chip. I had one of each, but sold the B and kept my A
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#25
Neo_Morpheus
Vayra86Okami didnt even run on it at all I believe
I didnt had one, but I remember not buying the first one because of the price and the revised one because i was under the impression that the whole backwards compatibility was removed.
So this is the first time i hear that they used software emulation.
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