The PS4 Pro Exists Because of the Threat of PC Gaming: Sony

To the average consumer, the PS4 is just hitting its stride with a slimmer variant and a few welcome price drops. Throw in a massive 40 million install base, you’d wonder why Sony would want to release a beefier version of the PS4 - revealed as the PS4 Pro. Sony Interactive Entertainment head Andrew House explained that the big threat for continued Sony’s continued dominance wasn’t the Xbox One S or Project Scorpio. Rather it was the PC.

“I saw some data that really influenced me,” House said in conversation with the Guardian. “It suggested that there’s a dip mid-console lifecycle where the players who want the very best graphical experience will start to migrate to PC, because that’s obviously where it’s to be had. We wanted to keep those people within our eco-system by giving them the very best and very highest [performance quality]. So the net result of those thoughts was PlayStation 4 Pro – and, by and large, a graphical approach to game improvement.”

(Also see: The PS4 Pro Won't Solve the PS4's Biggest Problem)

(Also see: PC Gaming Is Getting Better, but Publishers Are Getting Worse)

Interestingly though, House refused to comment on what Sony’s sales forecast is for the PS4 Pro, preferring to focus on the overall sales of the PS4 and PS4 Pro.

“Pro sales are factored into the 20 million units that we’ve said we’re going to sell this year,” he stated.

The PS4 Pro is out internationally on November 10 and is priced at $399 (around Rs. 26,500). No India release date has been announced though given BIS regulations being what they are, we won’t be surprised to see it show up by January.