Sony fans intending to upgrade their existing console to the PlayStation 5 when it launches later this year might want to start saving now, it would seem.
A new report published by Bloomberg earlier today has revealed a number of interesting details about the next-gen hardware, including a potential price tag that early adopters will be expected to pay. As per the website’s unnamed sources, PS4’s successor could demand in excess of $500 when it launches later this year, placing it far, far above the current or even original launch price for both the base PlayStation 4 and its upgraded Pro model, released back in 2016.
The increased cost, the report notes, is due to an extreme shortage of the necessary components being used to manufacture the fifth-generation PlayStation, forcing Sony to adopt a “wait-and-see approach” to account for its biggest market competitor, Microsoft.
Specifically, Sony is said to be having trouble securing the necessary DRAM and NAND flash memory components due to their being used by smartphone manufacturers, themselves gearing up to unveil a new line of products in the near future. Given how often new gaming consoles overlap in their internal make-up, it could well be the case that Microsoft is experiencing similar troubles with the Xbox Series X, though we’ve heard nothing implying as such as yet.
Currently, the manufacturing cost for each PlayStation 5 is said to be in the region of $450, putting it roughly above the PS4’s own estimated $381. Sony eventually opted to sell the latter at market for a flat $400, of course, so there’s still a chance that its successor could arrive with an asking price just below $500, even if it means selling at a loss. Consumers, after all, will only be willing to drop so much cash in one go for something that is ultimately a luxury item, so it’ll be interesting to see just how Sony responds.
PlayStation 5 is due out later this year.