PS5 Pro pre-order demand could mirror the Astro Bot controller, PSVR 2 PC adapter
Demand for PlayStation accessory hardware is up and Sony's inventory is strained. Here's what it all tells us about PS5 Pro
📆 Sony may announce PS5 Pro in September, and ship in November
🎮 Get PS5 Pro pre-order alerts: follow Matt Swider on X
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📈 Demand for PlayStation hardware (besides consoles) remains high
🙌 Recent sold-out items: Astro Bot controller & PSVR 2 PC Adapter
⏪ Flashback: PS5 & PlayStation Portal were hard to find in stock, too
Good news for Sony: demand for its PlayStation hardware has skyrocketed in the last few months, even though we reported that its PS5 console sales fell in 2024. There’s a chance that we could see the same sharp demand for the PS5 Pro in six weeks.
Sony’s PS5 Pro release date is rumored for November, with an official announcement expected to take place in September at the Tokyo Game Show. That’s unconfirmed for now, but this timetable reflects what we saw from the company’s last-generation mid-cycle refresh, the PS4 Pro.
How to get PS5 Pro pre-order alerts
Get my instant alerts: Your best chance to find PS5 Pro pre-orders at stores in the US is to follow Matt Swider on X – and turn on notifications.
It’ll look like my other restock notifications with direct links:
PS5 Pro demand foreshadowing
In 2024, we’ve seen stronger-than-expected demand for PlayStation products other than the PS5 and PS5 Slim consoles. Here’s what has been sold out, foreshadowing that it may be like trying to find a PS5 Pro pre-order or restock.
If Sony gets PS5 Pro’s price right: PSVR 2 at $350 sold out
PSVR 2 pre-orders weren’t hard to find when it first launched, but two weeks ago we did see it sell out briefly when Sony dropped the price of its PS5 VR headset. There was a 2,000% PSVR 2 sales surge as soon as the price was cut by $200.
What it tells us about PS5 Pro: If the PS5 Pro price is reasonable, PlayStation gamers will flock. PSVR 2’s sharp demand is evidence of that.
PlayStation Portal sold out even if it’s not PSP 2
It doesn’t take much. Even though PS Portal launched in November 2023 and pre-orders didn’t sell out right away, by the time Black Friday came around no one could find it in stock. Demand was so high that The Shortcut had to create a PlayStation Portal restock guide and it remained useful for more than eight months.
What it tells us about PS5 Pro: Everyone wants a true Sony PSP 2 handheld, but enough people loved the novelty of this PS5 remote player for it to sell out for months. If the PS5 Pro offers enough “new,” it’ll face strong demand, too.
A mix of demand and inventory. Note: You can’t blame it on Sony’s inventory being low alone (though that was an issue), as PS Portal still managed to become the best-selling gaming accessory of 2024 (so far). It was the sleeper hit no one had expected to sell out, and PS5 Pro could be an underdog, too.
PSVR 2 PC adapter demand outstripped inventory
There’s surprisingly strong demand for this $59.99 adapter to play VR games on a PC instead of a PS5 and, eventually, a PS5 Pro. Adam created a PSVR 2 PC adapter restock guide that’s seeing strong traffic (so gamers do want this).
What it tells us about PS5 Pro: Sony worked on PSVR 2 PC support for months and you still can’t find the adapter in stock days after it launched. Even in August 2024, Sony’s inventory has not met demand.
Flashback: Basically, many of the problems of the PS5 restock chaos have not been fixed almost four years later. That spells trouble for PS5 Pro pre-orders.
Astro Bot PS5 controller is still hard to find
The latest example foreshadowing potential PS5 Pro pre-order woes happened on Friday – and we had to start an Astro Bot controller restock guide to constantly check Walmart, Best Buy, PlayStation Direct, Target, GameStop, and Amazon.
What it tells us about PS5 Pro: Sure, the $80 PS5 DualSense PS5 controller is labeled “limited edition,” but it sold out in minutes. Like the Spider-Man and God of War Ragnarok controllers, pre-orders sold out quickly, but it’ll likely be back in stock closer to its shipment date. That’ll happen if initial PS5 pre-orders sell out.
So what about PS5 Pro pre-orders?
There’s a lesson here: if you want to pre-order the PS5 Pro (when Sony actually does announce it), you should be prepared to order it right away. The PS5 Slim wasn’t hard to get after its first week of availability last year, but Sony also didn’t really move the needle with anything new besides offering a slimmer console.
A lot of hype and curiosity will surround the PS5 Pro launch – influencers will call its graphics upgrade mind-blowing, while naysayers will say it changes nothing. We suspect that gamers should set their expectations somewhere in the middle. A lot will come down to how GTA 6 looks on a PS5 Pro compared to the regular version (Rockstar Games’ next hit launches the year after PS5 Pro is likely to debut).
The Shortcut will report on the PS5 Pro pre-order news when it breaks and I’ll be keeping tabs on each and every PS5 Pro restock on X if you turn on notifications.