The next generation of video game consoles is quickly approaching, as Sony and Microsoft both start to reveal more details about their upcoming plans. There's a palpable excitement in the industry, as fans wait to see how big of a leap the PS5 and Xbox Series X will bring.
Of course, there are still a lot of unknowns about both consoles, and even what games will be released for that matter. Sony has detailed the full specs of the PS5, as well as the brand new DualSense controller, but there are still a ton of unknowns.
The biggest question on fan's minds right now is just how much they're going to need to shell out. Price is always the number one concern with any new console, so here's what we know about the price of the PS5.
Everything We Know About the PS5's Price
Sony has been incredibly tight-lipped with information on the PS5, opting for a slow-burn approach, rather than laying everything out on the table like Microsoft. It's an interesting decision, but it is strange to think that the console is supposedly launching Holiday 2020 and as of April we have no indication of a pricepoint. The first aspect to consider is the price of the PS4, which launched at $399.99. It was a bit more than fans were used to spending, but the leap in technology obviously paid off.
In April 2019 Sony said that the PS5's price would be "appealing to gamers." That's an incredibly broad answer but is most likely meant to suggest a price similar to the PS4. However, things have drastically changed since then. An analysis firm called Ampere Analysis recently published a report saying the PS5 will likely be between $450-500. That sounds pretty on the ball as a slight increase on the price of the PS4, but something that would appeal to gamers and won't break the bank.
There's one major aspect that could change everything, however, and that's the Coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic is already putting a strain on production and distribution, and a recent report suggests that it could affect the PS5 in multiple ways, from release date to overall pricing. With that in mind, it's likely that the PS5 will launch somewhere in the $500-$550 range and will see sever stock shortages at first. Sony will want to avoid putting the price near $600, though, as the PS3's price debacle, seen as a mistake by Sony itself, is not likely to fade anytime soon.