PS5 pre-order guide: Price, release date, availability

Update: October 11, 2024, 10:05 am EDT This story has been updated with current availability.

The PlayStation 5 Pro is up for grabs again. I hope you started saving for it yesterday.

Priced at $699.99, pre-orders for Sony’s upcoming mid-gen console are now open at retailers starting at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 10. That includes Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart.

This marks the second wave of PS5 Pro pre-orders, arriving two weeks after the initial launch of the PlayStation Direct storefront; at the time of writing, it is back in stock there after initially selling out. (PlayStation Network account required.) All retailers limit buyers to one console per order except Target, which allows two per order.

The PS5 Pro will begin shipping in four weeks on Thursday, Nov. 7.

Sony previously released two limited-edition console bundles to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the PlayStation alongside the PS5 Pro, and both are long gone.

The other was a $999.99 PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Limited Edition bundle featuring a PS5 Pro decked out in the ’90s gray aesthetic of the original PlayStation. It came with the same DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers, a DualSense charging station, a disc drive cover (sold separately), a vertical stand, and a handful of accessories. Limited to 12,300 numbered units, it sold out “in seconds” when pre-orders went live on PS Direct on September 26, according to our sister site IGN. Scalpers are now reselling it on eBay for thousands of dollars.

The other was the $499.99 PS5 Slim Digital Edition 30th Anniversary Limited Edition bundle that omitted the DualSense Edge and charging station. It hits retailers on Oct. 10 following its initial pre-order drop on PS Direct in late September, and sold out quickly both times. It’s also making its way to eBay at steeply inflated prices.

The PS5 Pro was officially unveiled on September 10 during a nine-minute “Technology Presentation” led by Mark Cerny, PS5 Lead Architect, on the PlayStation YouTube channel. The announcement followed months of speculation and leaks, including what appeared to be internal leaks.

With a larger GPU than the original PS5, improved ray tracing, and new custom hardware for AI-powered upscaling, Cerny said the PS5 Pro is “the most powerful console we’ve ever built.” It also brings support for WiFi 7, 8K gaming, and a new “Pro” version of the PS5’s Game Boost feature that can improve the performance of more than 8,500 backward compatible PS4 titles. It has 2TB of storage, or double the capacity of the original (now almost four years old) PS5.

Notably, the PS5 Pro doesn’t come with a disc drive: You have to buy it separately for $79.99. (IGN reports that it’s been selling consistently at major retailers since the PS5 Pro was announced.) A stand that goes along with the console is also available for $29.99.

Next-generation developers who don’t mind the price of the PS5 Pro and its add-ons may consider buying a used system at a discounted price: Certified PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition consoles are available through PS Direct for $399.99 and $349.99, respectively, or $100 less than their new counterparts.

The PS5 Pro marks the fifth iteration of Sony’s current flagship console (if you count any bundles), which has been launched in a rather sloppy manner and has faced years of pandemic-related supply issues after the fact. Along with the regular PS5, it joins the PS5 Digital Edition, PS5 Slim, and PS5 Slim Digital Edition.