Last week, a rumour ripped around the worldwide web claiming the PS5 will have a late release date and a high price. Although the timeline is set for "holiday 2020", the rumour claimed it would be released on December 4, which seems very late as it would miss the key Black Friday/Cyber Monday periods of frenzied buying.
However the same rumour, posted on Japanese gaming blog Gamers Gate, also claimed the price would be ¥69,800 Yen (around £480) before tax for the base PS5 console and ¥109,800 Yen (around £800) before tax for the premium model, presumably the PS5 Pro. After tax, that would be almost £900 on release. Whew.
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The combination of both a late release and a higher price than almost any console that has come before it led to fears the PS5 would get undercut by Xbox Series X, which would command an early lead in the next-gen console wars. But the rumour seems to be unfounded, as Sony representatives denied the rumour, stating "the posted content is not an official announcement" to Japanese gaming mag Famitsu.
It's important to note the exact wording of the refusal: "this is not an official announcement" is also not an outright denial. However, we'd expect Sony to want to make it as easy as possible for people to choose its console over Microsoft's offering. A late release date and sky-high price are barriers more casual gamers might not want to cross.
Some outlets are predicting the PS5 will retail for a price around £400-£450, which seems more reasonable when you factor in purchasing games, second controllers and additional solid-state drives (see above) to improve the console's memory.
With the late release date debunked too, it's likely we'll see the PS5 debut on shelves mid-November, just before the Black Friday bonanza begins. It's unlikely we'll see too many discounts on the PS5 so soon after its release, but with the world in a buying mood, we're sure to see the PS5 under quite a few Christmas trees next year.
What else do we know? Well, now Microsoft has played its hand and revealed the Series X to the world, we can expect PS5 to follow suit. Developers such as Square Enix are working on PS5 titles, and the first footage from a PS5 exclusive, Godfall, debuted at this year's game awards. Check it out below:
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