PlayStation 5 Pro up to 24% Cheaper than PlayStation 3 at its Launch

The $699.99 MSRP of the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro is a source of outrage on social media, but what if we told you that the new premium console is in fact cheaper than what the PlayStation 3 cost at launch for even its cheapest variant? Sony launched the PlayStation 3 in 2006, with its cheapest variant that came with a 20 GB hard drive, at $499, in the US. A premium variant with a 60 GB HDD cost $599. Both models included a Blu-ray drive, as physical media was the prevalent mode of game distribution. In comes inflation. $599 in 2006 money is approximately $930 in today's money, while $499 (2006) in today's money is approximately $780.

Even the cheapest variant of the PlayStation 3 cost 11% more at launch than the PlayStation 5 Pro, adjusted by inflation, while the premium variant cost 24% more. The PlayStation 5 Pro is digital-only, and lacks an optical drive, which can be purchased separately for $80. Adding this cost, the PS5 Pro with a separately purchased optical drive costs exactly as much as the base model PlayStation 3 with 20 GB HDD did, back in 2006, adjusted by inflation.