Sony to Slash Price of its Next-Gen Console in Response to Series X Price Announcement?
Microsoft finally broke its silence and announced the price, launch date, and pre-order details of the Xbox Series X console. The most powerful console of the generation will be available at $499 starting November 10. The pre-orders, however, are starting on September 22. Now the ball is in Sony’s court, and like the last generation, Sony may try to pull off a price advantage. Sony has announced the invite-only pre-orders, but the company is yet to announce the price and availability of the PS5 consoles.
A source from Gamereacter confirmed that the ‘less powerful’ PlayStation 5 was considerably more expensive. One can infer many things from such a statement. For starters, Sony could have been targeting a $500 price point for its equally capable disc-less version while the PlayStation 5 would cost an additional 50 to 100 dollars. Earlier reports do seem in line with the price above $500 for the PlayStation 5 console. Secondly, it also means that Sony may try to undercut Microsoft again, owing to its ‘second-mover advantage.’
The critical competitor for Sony here is arguably the Series S console, which can be regarded as the cheaper doorway to the next generation. The cheaper console will go on sale at $299, and Sony would have to find a way to price the disc-less PlayStation 5 in order to gain a competitive advantage.
Lastly, later reports from Sony suggest that it may slash prices of the PlayStation 5 consoles. The new prices will come in line with the competition, i.e., the standard PS5 may cost $499 while the Disc-less version may cost $399. Sony may also try to undercut Microsoft as well. Since both Sony and Microsoft sell these consoles at a loss, perhaps Sony would try to minimize the loss by volume rather than the price.
