We’ve talked a lot about the PS5 Pro over the last several weeks, and not all for good reasons. The biggest question about the “new system” is whether gamers should want it or even need it. After all, if you want to play physical games on the system, you need to buy the system, a physical disc drive, and potentially a stand for it all, which can take you over $800, all told. Then, there’s the gaming side of things, where the PS5 has them, but not in good numbers lately. Finally, as the team behind No Man’s Sky found out, there’s the “simple act” of getting your title ready for the PS5 Pro.
As revealed on Twitter, Hello Games engine programmer Martin Griffiths had a tough time getting the game ready for the Pro system, as he noted:
“I spent around 4-5 months of my time spread over the last year working on the PS5 Pro support. This was a tough gig since we are one of smallest teams releasing today and also one of only a handful of games supporting both 4K and 8K, as well as PSVR2. I am immensely proud of playing a part in this release today – hope you all enjoy!”
While he does attempt to put a positive spin on things at the end, you can’t deny that spending 4-5 months on a game just to make it ready for a new console is pretty rough. Even he said it was a “tough gig,” so clearly it wasn’t the most enjoyable time around.
Plus, as many others have noted beyond the No Man’s Skyteam, there are plenty of games that don’t fully “embrace” the power of the PS5 Pro in one form or another. Some don’t maximize the framerates as you’d expect, and others don’t run as flawlessly as you might think.
So, it once again comes down to the question of, “Do you want to spend all that money just to play games that will look a ‘little better?’” Some people obviously will because they’re very “tech-minded” and want to have the best visual experiences to go along with the gameplay. Others won’t be sold because A) they don’t have the money to spend on said new console, and B) the “improvements” just aren’t enough to justify things.
Sony today admitted that PS5 sales were down, and you really have to wonder if the PS5 Pro will truly help get Sony “back on track.”
