The PS5 Needed A Stronger Lineup Before Stronger Hardware

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Shahmeer Sarfaraz

I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.

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Let me ask you a question. What is the most important thing for a console? Having super powerful hardware? User-friendly interface and accessibility features? Multi-entertainment capabilities? All of these are certainly important, but if I had to choose one, it has to be the kind of games it offers.

You’re getting the console primarily for gaming purposes. What good would everything else be if there was nothing to make use of it? And by nothing, I mean exclusives and first-party titles.

Sony used to be the king of these, but the current PS5 era has been pretty barren. Yet instead of addressing this, Sony says, “have this shiny PS5 Pro.”

Why it matters: Sony has presented the PS5 Pro, whose very need is pretty questionable, as better games for the base console should’ve been the first priority.

PS5 Pro Is Here, For Better Or Worse

After countless rumors, we have the official info regarding the PS5 Pro now, and this has been a pretty difficult-to-swallow situation.

Featuring improved Ray Tracing, PSSR upscaling technology, and a bulkier GPU, the console’s primary aim is to improve upon the Performance mode, offering 60 FPS without visual compromise. Things were looking pretty great, that is until the very last slide.

PS5 Pro: Lackluster Reveal, Outrageous Pricing and Weak "Pro" Feeling
byu/SinisterSh0t inLinusTechTips

The PS5 Pro will set you back a whopping $700, and that too without the disc drive or vertical stand. A $700 console with no disc drive, the same base PS5 CPU, and a huge yearly fee to play online—I don’t even know where to begin with how absurd and insane Sony is with this.

Should Hardware Really Have Been Sony’s Priority?

Mid-generation refreshes are usually a comfort upgrade, not an unjustifiable expense. But putting the price aside, was a hardware upgrade the most critical need? Do you know what else has better hardware? Xbox consoles.

People would’ve shifted to Xbox long ago if hardware was the issue. Yet they stick to PlayStation. Why? Because of the games.

Besides, I never quite understood the industry’s obsession with photorealistic visuals. Games on PS5 already look pretty impressive to me. And even if they weren’t, I’m a strictly gameplay-over-visuals kind of person. Still, what use is a “visual upgrade” if you have nothing to play?

Just because the PS5 Pro runs the limited library with a little more visual fidelity doesn’t make it a justifiable upgrade. Plus, when the console is still stuck with majorly last-gen titles, Sony should’ve prioritized strengthening its library first instead of demanding such a ridiculous amount for a mid-gen refresh.

PS5 Pro: A New, Expensive Way to Play PS4 Games
byu/ZiggyPalffyLA inGames

Where Are All The First Party Games, Sony?

Imagine owning the PS5 for four years now, and instead of providing better and more versatile titles to play, Sony says, “Pay $700 to see the games you’ve already played in more detail.” Not only did you not get a decent library in all this time, but now a better console already exists, making you feel like your machine is obsolete. 

PS5 will go down as the first console in history to not have a single game.
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Take a look at the PS4. By the time PS4 Pro arrived, the console already had an unbeatable lineup. In fact, the PS5 can’t even come close to the PS4 era. Now, Sony’s blockbuster AAAs have so absurd budgets and development cycles that it takes years just to deliver one title.

How long ago was Marvel’s Wolverine announced? 3+ years now. At this rate, I’ll say that the leaked Insomniac lineup will probably be complete by the time PS8 arrives. Which is anything but good news. The PS5’s lifetime is more than halfway through; when will its library become justifiable enough?

The PS5 Needs Some Hits Now

Anyway, what’s done is done. Now, Sony seriously needs to strengthen its game lineup. And by strengthening, I mean titles like Astro Bot, not Concord. Imagine all the time and money Sony wasted on Concord being used on something good. Nevertheless, Astro Bot is here and sets an example of what Sony ought to do now.

It can continue its blockbuster AAAs with lengthy development cycles as long as it maintains a steady supply of short and sweet games in between. Not only can those test the water for possible future titles, but sustain the huge gaps and keep people entertained. The PS5’s later half has now begun, and a radical change is necessary.

Shahmeer Sarfaraz

Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.