Sony Reveals When They Really Locked In The PS5 Price
Sony finally revealed this week how and when it decided on the price for the PlayStation 5, putting to rest a handful of rumors regarding COVID-19 delays and competitive tactics against Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S. The entertainment giant had waited until only two months before the PS5's official release to drop its price, which is 100 days fewer than the time between the PS4's price reveal and its release back in 2013, according to Tom's Guide.
As Wccftech reported, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan revealed in an interview with EDGE Magazine that Sony locked down the PS5's price "early in this calendar year" before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so the virus was not a delaying factor, as some consumers speculated. Moreover, the decision to sell the digital-only version of the PS5 at $399, the same price as the PS4, had always been in the cards. "That was important for us, and we're very happy that we've been able to do that. $399 worked very well for us last time round and we'd like it to work very well for us this time round, too," Ryan said.
Sony dropped the PS5's price on Sept. 16 after months of speculation. In a PlayStation showcase at the time, the console developer revealed a Nov. 12, 2020 release date for the U.S. and several other territories. While the Digital Edition was marked at $399.99, the standard model with a Blu-Ray disc drive cost $499.99. At this point, fans had been expecting a price reveal any day, considering that Microsoft already dropped the Series X|S price on Sept. 9. This timeline sparked a rumor that Sony was waiting for Microsoft to share its price first (and vice versa) before deciding the price of the PS5.
The Series X did end up having the same price as the PS5 for its standard edition, while the Series S was just $100 cheaper than the PS5 Digital Edition. As Tom's Guide pointed out, it is entirely possible that Sony might have made last-minute changes to its prices if the Series X|S prices had been significantly different, but that ended up not being the case.
In any case, fans were relieved to see the PS5's actual price, following several rumors with conflicting price tags. Video game retailer Play N Trade initially listed the PS5 price as $400, which was improbably low. Then, Amazon France priced the console at $500 — much more reasonable. Alas, the rumors didn't end there, as another listing on Amazon UK later suggested a whopping $562 base price.
The PS5 has been on the market for just under a month, and its price is no longer up for debate on any fronts. Now, consumers just have to worry about getting their hands on a PS5 amid continuous shortages.