PlayStation 5 Price Could Be Between $499 and $549

A report by Bloomberg suggests that the PlayStation’s 5’s price could be set somewhere between $499 to $549 and that the console may be available in limited supplies during its initial release period.

This report cites “people familiar with the matter” of the PlayStation 5’s launch as well as “game developers who’ve been creating titles for the next PlayStation.” It’s the latter group that directly hints at the PlayStation 5’s potential price point. Bloomberg reporters also suggest that the relatively scarce availability of necessary components could be partially responsible for those suggested price points.

That same report also notes that a shortage of components may also lead to a shortage of the PlayStation 5 itself. Sources involved with the supply of the PlayStation 5 indicate that Sony hopes to ship about 5-6 million PlayStation 5 units by March 2021. If that number is true, it would represent a slight drop from the number of PlayStation 4s Sony sold (and made available) during roughly that same time frame. Of course, that number could also still be affected by the spread of the coronavirus as well as other factors.

Speaking of the coronavirus, it sounds like Sony’s production of the PlayStation 5 has been relatively unaffected by the spread of the virus thus far, but it seems that travel delays and other such restrictions have made the PlayStation 5’s production more challenging than usual. On top of that, Sony is currently working on ways to promote the PlayStation 5 now that physical reveal events and similar scenarios have been delayed for the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, all of these factors could lead to an expanded lifespan for the PlayStation 4. While the details are still vague at this time, it sounds like Sony is hoping to support the PlayStation 4 for longer than usual in an effort to reduce the impact of a potential PlayStation 5 shortage/high price point. We already know that games like The Last of Us Part 2 and Iron Man VR have been delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus, so it stands to reason that PlayStation 4 owners will already have to wait just a bit longer to get the last of the console’s major games.

That’s a lot of information to break down. First off, assuming this information is accurate, it sounds like you shouldn’t expect the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to launch for less than $450. Even that price assumes that both companies are willing to sell their consoles at what would seem to be a loss.

What’s arguably even more interesting is the implication that this current console generation could last a bit long in response to some of these struggles. We already know that Microsoft is planning on offering Xbox One owners the chance to convert their copies of certain titles into Xbox Series X games, and we honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Sony does something similar in order to ease the burden of the PlayStation 5’s cost and make the PlayStation 4 feel more valuable for longer.