Gaming
Big wait for PlayStation 5 Pro in South Africa
PlayStation’s South African distributor is waiting to secure regulatory compliance to sell the PS5 Pro in the country.
Sony has unveiled the PlayStation 5 Pro in early September 2024, priced at $699 in the US. South African PlayStation fans, however, will need to wait as local distributor Gamefinity seeks regulatory clearance later this year.
Mario Dos Santos, CEO of Gamefinity, informed MyBroadband that pre-order details will be released upon certification receipt.
“We are currently awaiting certification from two regulatory compliance bodies and are dependent on their timelines. We are optimistic that this will be achieved within this year,” Dos Santos stated.
Gamefinity also shared on the official PlayStation South Africa Facebook page that they are finalizing supply chain logistics.
“The release date for PlayStation Pro in South Africa will be determined post confirmation of supply chain logistics and securing NRCS and ICASA compliance,” as per their response to pre-order queries.
The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) is pivotal in certifying imported electronic devices, contributing significantly to product arrival delays in South Africa.
Industry insiders have cited the time-consuming process of obtaining the letter of authority (LOA) from the NRCS to import new tech into South Africa.
Considering the US price of $699 for the PlayStation 5 Pro (approximately R12,035), factors such as sales tax, import duties, and exchange rates may lead to a higher price in South Africa.
Currently, the standard PS5 retails at R13,999 locally, representing a 63% increase over the $499 US price.
Applying the same margin of 63% to the PlayStation 5 Pro’s $699 price could result in an estimated R19,620 in South Africa.
Mark Cerny, the lead architect for PlayStation, highlighted that the higher-end PlayStation 5 allows for enhanced gaming experiences without mode switching, offering 45% faster rendering than the standard console.
The PlayStation 5 Pro is disc-driveless in line with the industry trend towards digital media, with Sony planning to sell the disc drive separately.
Notably, the Pro model is designed to boost performance for older titles through free software updates on specific games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hogwarts Legacy, and Spider-Man 2.
Sony emphasized the power of the PlayStation 5 Pro, noting it as their most potent console yet.
Analysts like Kota Ezawa from Citi suggested that Sony’s pricing strategy for the PS5 Pro aims to enhance gross profit margins with improved component performance.
On the other hand, industry expert Serkan Toto mentioned that Sony is targeting hardcore PlayStation gamers with the PS5 Pro, indicating it is not a mass-market device but a top-tier offering in the gaming market.
