PlayStation Pro’s Secret Weapon Against the Stronger Xbox Scorpio Is Time

Last week saw the announcement of the PS4 Pro. After months of speculation of a powerful console releasing later this year going by the codename Neo, Andrew House and Mark Cerny spearheaded Sony’s unveiling of the new tech.

Capable of outputting an upscaled 4K image and using HDR technology, the PS4 Pro footage looks great when watching on a 4K display. However, comparisons were quickly drawn between the Pro and Microsoft’s upcoming Project Scoprio – a powerhouse console capable of true 4K gaming and VR. It was soon revealed that the Scorpio already has the edge on the Pro in terms of sheer power, leading many to question how Sony intends to compete with a more powerful competitor.

Toward the tail-end of last week, President and Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Andrew House, stated that the PS4 Pro isn’t competing with the Xbox Scorpio, but with the PC market instead.  “I saw some data that really influenced me. 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],” House told The Guardian. While this certainly makes sense as the reasoning behind the mid-generation iteration, it also seems a little confusing. If Sony is, in fact, trying to keep players who are looking for the very best and very highest, why did it let its main competitor in the console market outdo them with a very similar product?

Following the Xbox Scorpio reveal on the Monday of E3 week, Sony followed up with its own conference. While it showcased some truly excellent games coming to the PS4 in the next couple of years, one seemingly innocuous title made multiple appearances. Days Gone was officially unveiled during the show with a trailer, and at the very same conference crescendo moment that led to Microsoft’s Scorpio announcement, Sony anticlimactically brought Days Gone on stage again for a gameplay demo. Despite Sony claiming prior to E3 that the Neo would not be shown, its absence was palpable.

Fast forward a couple of months and we instead see an individual PS4 Pro reveal event strategically placed away from the buzz of the Scorpio, where Sony communicated their focus on extending the life of the PS4, rather than competing externally. The Pro was not meant to provide the quantum leap in performance and become “the most powerful console ever,” a feat the Xbox’s Scorpio boasted at E3. 

Despite this deja-vu-like moment at E3, Sony may have been granted a bit of a mulligan. Rather than having to compete directly with the Scorpio during 2017’s holiday season, the Pro could get a head start on sales releasing this year. Getting to the market this year not only gives the Pro this head start in terms of sales, but also offers developers some time to get their games out to players and getting a feel for the tech. Not to mention, getting as much support from developers for the Pro as possible.

While hardcore Xbox fans are likely to wait for the company’s super console, there’s a segment of the user demographic that is simply looking for the very best and most powerful console on the market this holiday, and the Pro is going to offer it. Console players are seeking out 4K console gaming, and the Pro offers it at least a year before its main competitors. Unless Nintendo brings out an insanely powerful NX, they’ve got a lucrative, if not a little niche, market all to themselves. Combine this with the statistics mentioned earlier in the quote from House, and Sony is not only retaining their existing users, but enticing other console technophiles to the blue side.

While it’s quite possible that those seeking 4K gaming setups have already purchased a PC rig with a GTX 10 series card capable of displaying some incredible visuals, the Pro brings 4K to those not willing to spend way into the thousands of dollars. What’s more, Sony’s 4K capable console could well come in far cheaper than the Scorpio when taking into account Head of Xbox Games Marketing, Aaron Greenberg’s comments on the Scorpio being priced as a “premium product.”

It’s a bold move for Sony to take, but one that may help to spur on the sales of the PS4 particularly when NPD shows the Xbox One as the leading console for the past two months (a title that the PS4 has dominated almost every month since launch). However, fan reception to the Pro was likely a little more divided than Sony had expected. While some saw it as a great way to keep their games running smooth and get even prettier visuals, others saw it as a half-baked step towards a new console and one that underwhelmed off the back of the Neo rumors.

Granted, Sony’s year head start will help, but first to market isn’t a sure fire way to success. Just like at the albeit extreme case of Nintendo’s Wii U. If the Pro pales in comparison to the Scoprio, regardless of price, the same graphic-hungry demographic that Sony is trying to lure with its Pro will likely switch to the biggest, baddest console that’s out. One year isn’t a lot of time, especially when the competitor’s cards are already largely on the table.

Ultimately, Sony could well find themselves in a difficult position. With a concerning lack of vocal support from developers, the value proposition behind the Pro isn’t yet likely to be considered a done deal for the current PS4 owner. Sony has played its hand and Microsoft has a perfect opportunity to really turn the screw. Whether or not the pricing and messaging behind the Scorpio can help deliver a heavy blow to Sony, however, is yet to be seen.