Printing money

As expected, the PlayStation 4 will make a loss at launch – but Sony is hoping to recoup any expenses with PlayStation Plus subscriptions and the sale of games. SCEJ executive Masayasu Ito confirmed the expected snippet during a roundtable interview with Eurogamer.net earlier in the week, where he refused to reveal just how much cash the console is likely to cost the company.

Sources suggest that each PS4 sale will generate a $60 loss, but Ito denied it, stating that an average consumer will shell out on a premium membership card and a game, making the product a profitable endeavour overall. Considering that it costs around $50 to join Sony’s subscription service, we’re going to assume that the aforementioned figure’s roughly accurate.

Even without additional purchases, though, Ito added the PS4 will turn a profit prompter than its current generation counterpart. Famously, the PlayStation 3 almost crippled the company, incurring enormous losses due to its awkward architecture and expensive components. Such issues will not be shared by the firm’s impending next generation console, meaning that shareholders can safely breathe a sigh of relief.

[source eurogamer.net]