PS4 Pro Sales 'Off to a Good Start,' Says GameStop
By Jasmine Henry 22 November 2016
Games retailer GameStop reveals that PS4 Pro sales are ‘off to a good start,’ and that virtual reality gaming headsets don’t stay on store shelves for more than 10 days.
When Sony announced the PS4 Pro, after months of speculation about upgraded PS4 hardware, gamers were more than a little excited. With 4K demos for games like Mass Effect: Andromeda also promising that previously released titles would get 4K support, and that virtual reality gaming is expected to benefit from the console’s improved specs, there was lots for gamers to enthuse about. But how has that enthusiasm translated into actual sales?
According to retailer GameStop, it has translated quite well. During the company’s latest financial briefing, GameStop revealed that PS4 Pro sales are “off to a good start,” and that there has been a “strong demand” for new consoles, with new consoles also including the PS4 Slim and the Xbox One S which were released not long before the Pro.
GameStop also said that there was “definitely a slowdown of sales of PS4 prior to the PS4 Pro,” and that once the PS4 Pro launched, sales “took right back up again.” This will no doubt be reassuring to Sony, as the Xbox One has beaten the PS4 in terms of sales now for four months in a row. Revenue from Sony’s game sector was also down year on year, but the company will no doubt be glad to see that its console’s popularity isn’t waning so much as gamers are choosing a slightly different time to invest in the console.
Following this positive start, it seems like the PS4 Pro’s sales will continue to be strong. Aided by various Black Friday discounts, plenty of upcoming and previously released titles are gaining the benefit of PS4 Pro support. Final Fantasy XV is getting PS4 Pro support, for example, while Blizzard’s hugely popular shooter Overwatch recently got PS4 Pro support in an update. Even Assassin’s Creed Syndicate has received a PS4 Pro support update, showing gamers how their entire games libraries (and not just more recently released titles) can benefit.
During the briefing, GameStop also gave an update on how virtual reality headsets are faring, stating that “VR is generally on the shelves for less than 10 days.” In late October, the retailer said that sales of PlayStation VR headsets have exceeded expectations and that it had received extra shipments for the holiday buying season. As Sony also said that PS VR are ‘on track,’ it’s clear that gamers are investing in virtual reality gaming, despite the technology being relatively new and despite it still being unclear whether VR will be a fad, akin to motion control. Between PlayStation VR and the PS4 Pro, it looks like Sony is set to have a strong end to the year.
Source: DualShockers
