In an interview with MCV UK, Jim Ryan, Head of Global Sales and Marketing at Sony, revealed that they’ll have a “significant amount of stock” for the PlayStation 4 Pro at launch on November 10, but he doesn’t know if it will be enough:
I’ve been told, just before we had this conversation, that pre-orders in the UK are looking pretty good. I can’t give you the numbers yet, but I’m pleasantly surprised. We will have a significant amount of stock at launch and then through Christmas. I can’t tell you whether that’s enough, but I remember we had a similar conversation about PlayStation VR, and I couldn’t answer that one either.
Asked if PS4 Pro is designed to address the mid-cycle fatigue some gamers experience, Ryan said securing on-going engagement through the PS4’s entire lifecycle is one of the reasons why the new console was created:
We anticipate this will lead to a more protracted engagement with the platform from those who perhaps bought PS4 in 2013. As you presume, they might be starting to suffer from mid-cycle fatigue, which could manifest itself with a migration to PC or something else – you know, that’s kind of anecdotal. But the notion of securing on-going engagement with our platform through its entire lifecycle is a very valid one, and indeed one of the reasons behind PlayStation 4 Pro.
As for whether or not PS4 Pro is more for existing users, rather than new ones, Ryan replied, “Yes and no. There will be those early adopters who simply want the latest and best from PlayStation, and it’s an opportunity to enjoy an enhanced gaming experience.” He also noted that 50 million people will be buying a 4K TV this year and a “significant amount of the PS4 Pro user-base will come from those people, and they may or may not be existing PS4 owners.”
Ryan also touched on the lack of a 4K Blu-ray player in the PS4 Pro, which Sony’s Andrew House said is because they’re seeing a shift towards streaming. Ryan reiterated that comment and added, “In light of the future, we definitely see streaming as the way forward in terms of video.”
Although “an enhanced VR experience will be possible through PS4 Pro,” Ryan added that “we absolutely maintain the primary platform for PlayStation VR is the standard PS4.”
[Source: MCV UK]
