The PS5 Pro will be released next week, on 7th November, but the road to this point has been long. According to Sony Interactive Entertainment co-CEO Hideaki Nishino, Sony's mid-gen refresh has been in the works since before the base model launched on 19th November 2020.
Speaking to Variety (thanks, VGC), Nishino explained that a Pro model was always part of the plan, noting that "we have done Pro in the last generation. We learned a lot from there." Delving deeper into the staggered strategy, Nishino said: "When we were selling PS4 Pro, in addition to the PS4, 20% of customers actually got the PS4 Pro. It was high-end; it was a premium tier. Interestingly enough, it was not just about highly engaged users - new users came to PlayStation to get PS4 Pro, too. So we started working on PS5 Pro even before PS5 launched — it was another five-year project for us."
Elsewhere in the interview, Nishino and fellow CEO Hermen Hulst claim that the firm has adopted a "show, don't tell" policy regarding future releases. The dynamic duo also discussed the challenges of their C-Suite partnership and the "opportunities and risks" that go along with sharing power at the top.