Sony unveiled the specs (opens in new tab) of the upcoming PS5 (opens in new tab) a couple of weeks ago, and while we've heard rumours of a price point of around $499/ £449 (opens in new tab) for the console, the company has been hesitant to confirm anything concrete. Last month, Sony's chief financial officer, Hiroki Totoki, told investors that the price hasn't even been set yet.
Totoki pointed to a number of factors that could influence the final price tag, calling it "a balancing act" (opens in new tab), but with potential parts shortages (opens in new tab) and possible delays (opens in new tab) having an effect on the cost, it could skyrocket. In fact, a listing for the console has already been spotted, sporting a price of more than £800 with a December 1 release date.
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Danish retailer føtex (opens in new tab) currently has the console listed for 6,989 Danish krone, which is around $1043/ £837. That's more than double the rumoured price, and is incredibly expensive! The PS4 (opens in new tab) launch price came in at $399/ £349, which rose more than a few eyebrows at the time. Paying more than twice that at the best of times would cause an uproar, and with the current economic uncertainty in the wake of coronavirus, I don't think anyone would be willing to shell out so much for a console.
It's more feasible that this is simply a placeholder price until Sony drops the official details, as it's a world away from striking the balance the Japanese manufacturer is striving for. The listing also has a placeholder release date of December 1, 2020, which seems like it's much closer to reality than the price.
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We know that both the Xbox Series X and PS5 have a 'holiday 2020' launch window, and Microsoft let slip an even more accurate date of 'Thanksgiving 2020' on its own website, although it claimed that this was simply an error. Thanksgiving falls at the end of November, for readers who aren't in the US, and is in line with the launch dates of Microsoft's previous console. Sony has been less consistent with its console release dates, but based on its track record, a November window seems likely.
Either way, the launch of both consoles could be impacted by the current situation, and that could mean an increased price or delays. We'll have to wait and see how far-reaching the consequences are.
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