Bloomberg Japan predicts that the PlayStation 5 will cost, at the lowest, $399 for the all-digital version and $449 for the standard. This comes alongside news that Sony has significantly cut production of its next-gen console, reducing production estimates by 4 million units over the next 6 months. The reduction is apparently due to difficulty manufacturing its proprietary chips.
Sony has been struggling to get information out about its upcoming console for some time now. Its competitor Microsoft has been almost as slow getting information out, but earlier this month, a leak finally forced its hand and led to an official reveal for both the price and release date of the Xbox Series X. Even after this revelation, Sony's been dragging its feet, refusing to tell fans any pertinent information even as the console's release date creeps closer and closer. The company has scheduled an official livestream this Wednesday, giving desperate PlayStation fans some hope that Sony will finally tell them what they need to know.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg Japan has put out its own prediction for PS5 prices based on the details of the industry. According to translations posted on ResetEra, Bloomberg has shared the best case scenario, the lowest price it expects Sony to sell the PS5 for. The standard model could go for $449, while the all-digital model might go as low as $399, which is $100 more expensive than Microsoft's all-digital console, the Xbox Series S. These are, of course, only predictions. Ultimately, only Sony knows how much the PlayStation 5 will cost.
If this prediction is accurate, that's a pretty low sum. Bloomberg seems to be banking on Sony trying to undercut the Xbox Series X, which is $499, and making up the loss by selling the digital version at a higher premium. Of course, with such a small gap between the price points of the two consoles, it's unclear how well the digital version will sell when players can get the standard console for only a little bit more. Still, the gap accounts for most of the cost of a full-price game, even one charging increased next-gen prices like NBA 2K21, and that might be enough to sway some folks. Either way, a PlayStation 5 gets sold.
Hopefully, fans won't have to wait too much longer to find out if Bloomberg's prediction holds water. It's already been a very lengthy wait, and it would be downright cruel of Sony to extend it even further. It would also be a bad business practice to keep players waiting almost till the release of the console before telling them how much to pay. Fans who think better of Sony than that will hopefully be rewarded for their long-suffering patience for PlayStation 5 news this Wednesday.
Source: ResetEra