Sony's PlayStation (PS)5 Pro, which faced criticism at launch for being "overpriced," is getting a second look. As prices for PC memory and graphics cards surge in tandem, the appeal of consoles that offer high-performance gaming at a relatively stable price is coming into focus. In fact, the PS5 Pro is increasing its share of sales in major markets, including the United States, boosting its presence.
According to Circana on the 25th, the PS5 Pro accounted for about 13% of all PS5 units sold in the United States last year. That is similar to the lifetime share of the PS4 Pro (about 13%). Despite being priced at $700 (domestic list price 1,118,000 won), more than $200 higher than the $499 base PS5 model, it is said to be quickly settling in among high-end users.
Global sales indicators are also solid. According to Sony's fiscal year 2025 third-quarter (Oct.–Dec.) results, total PS5 series sales for the quarter came to about 8 million units. As of the end of December last year, cumulative global PS5 sales were estimated at 92.1 million units.
In Japan, cumulative PS5 Pro sales as of the end of 2025 are estimated at around 250,000 to 300,000 units. In Europe, including the United Kingdom, weekly sales during Black Friday week in 2025, excluding the launch period, reportedly reached an all-time high.
Soaring PC component prices are behind the sales turnaround. According to TrendForce, DRAM prices in the first quarter of this year are expected to rise more than 90% from the previous quarter. In reality, a 32-gigabyte (GB) DDR5 memory kit that cost in the 100,000 won range in the middle of last year jumped to the 300,000 to 400,000 won range early this year. Solid-state drives (SSD) also climbed more than 50% early this year, pushing prices for high-performance 2-terabyte (TB) products above 300,000 won.
Graphics card prices are unstable, too. Some models in the latest RTX 50 series are being sold at prices far above the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), and analysis indicates that to achieve performance similar to the PS5 Pro's 4K at 60 frames, you need an RTX 4070 Ti to 5070-class or higher graphics card, 32GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD. In that case, the total build expense is at least 2.2 million to 2.5 million won, about twice the PS5 Pro (1,118,000 won).
The relative price stability of consoles is also cited as a strength. Because Sony secures components through bulk pre-purchases and long-term contracts, real-time spikes in component prices are not immediately reflected in consumer prices. On top of that, by using its own AI upscaling technology (PSSR) to deliver high-resolution environments, it offers a 4K gaming experience without expensive PC graphics cards, which serves as a competitive edge.
Anticipation for killer content is also supporting sales. "GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI)," slated for release in the second half of this year, is regarded as a blockbuster that will fully demand next-generation console performance. The industry expects PS5 Pro demand to likely peak again ahead of the GTA 6 launch. In Korea, the release of console-focused AAA titles such as Pearl Abyss' "Crimson Desert" and Netmarble's "The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" is spurring hardware demand.
The structural growth of Korea's console market also stands out. According to the "2024 Korea Game White Paper," the domestic console market size was tallied at about 1.1291 trillion won, and the industry projects it will exceed 1.3 trillion won in 2026. Securities industry analyses, including from Shinhan Investment & Securities, project that while domestic mobile game growth in 2026 will be around 2%, the console market will grow by more than 8%. Among console users in Korea, PlayStation accounts for an estimated 45% to 50%.
A gaming industry official said, "The notion that the expense of upgrading a graphics card and memory can instead buy a console and multiple titles is spreading, shifting sales trends," adding, "Since Sony is pursuing a 'razor-and-blade' strategy that focuses less on making big profits from the device and more on expanding its install base to generate revenue from games and subscriptions, expanding the platform ecosystem is more critical than hardware margins."