Sony made everyone think the PS5 Pro is worth it by coloring it grey

After PlayStation stepped back and dunked its merch in a classic coat of grey paint, now everybody wants a piece.

PlayStation just unveiled its 30th Anniversary lineup of systems, and it’s got gamers feeling like they were a little too harsh earlier. This could’ve been a great last-minute decision to save face after the backlash to the PS5 Pro’s reveal—or more likely, the company had carefully considered how to manage its consumers’ expectations. Sounds like a tough call.

With a slick new finish and limited edition etchings, the PlayStation 5 Pro has become significantly more appealing to fans. The digital-only PS5, PS5 Pro, DualSense controllers, and the PS Portal have been styled to appeal to players who share a fondness for the classic PlayStation system. Some were reluctant to admit this strategy worked because many still think that on some level, the PS5 Pro is unnecessary, but it does seem . 

Even if the improvements are nice, gamers still don’t agree with the $700 price tag Sony slapped on the Pro. They’re also particularly averse to the all-digital future that PlayStation and others have slowly been fastening their userbases into. Unfortunately for many gamers who had considered themselves resistant to this kind of thing, nostalgia can change minds.

Not everyone has been entirely sold on the 30th Anniversary collection. The collection of products hasn’t been given a clear price, so gamers are suspicious it will break the bank. In addition to that, the veil of nostalgia doesn’t work on everyone, as some gamers just weren’t satisfied with “some PS1 logos.” The branding is drawing in Apple comparisons based on the sense of vanity it’s invoking in players. PlayStation has faced a series of ups and downs, from painful flops like Concord to the triumphant release of Astro Bot. In some ways, the reveal of this system feels like the company hit the panic button after seeing the long-awaited PS5 Pro wasn’t doing too hot.

The PlayStation 5 Pro was the recipient of a torrent ridicule last week. In its reveal presentation, Mark Cerny spent nine minutes downplaying the picture quality of the base PS5 to hype up the new system. No matter how much the company stated that this system was an improvement, gamers weren’t buying it. It turns out, all that PlayStation needed to do was remind its fans of a better time in the brand’s history.