We always thought that the PlayStation 4 would get a price drop this year, and it seems to be happening. Sony revealed at TGS 2015 this week that it will be reducing the device's cost right across Asia, with the UK also seemingly getting in on the action. However, nothing has been announced for North America just yet – even though Xbox chief Phil Spencer believes that it will.
"I fully expect that [the PS4] will drop in price," he told IGN. "When I think about the playbook that they've used in the past, we feel good about the plans that we have in place going forward in the holiday. If history tells, then we'll see a price drop from them coming." It's an interesting comment, perhaps suggesting that Microsoft will go lower as well to ensure that it still has the cheaper box.
We predicted earlier in the year that the PS4 would fall all the way down to $299 this Christmas, but judging by the reductions in the East, we suppose that $349 is looking more likely. But will that be enough to maintain the machine's momentum, or should the Japanese giant be looking to go lower? All will be revealed over the coming weeks.
[source uk.ign.com]
Comments 19
I know Sony is on top of the world and all that sales wise, but $349, if true, seems kind of stingy. Especially if MS gets even more aggressive for the holidays.
@Sir_JBizzle I think it's really check for a console this younger.
@Sir_JBizzle I tend to agree to be honest. $349 prompts a shrug of the shoulders, whereas $299 would get people to sit up and pay attention. Sales would absolutely explode, and they'd still be making money back with PS Plus subscriptions.
But they know what they're doing over there, I guess...
With how the PS4 is selling (seems that almost everyone has the console), I could see them dropping the price down to $300...and still make enough money with other sales (Plus and games). If they do this, I'd love to see how low Microsoft will actually go to compete, and I'd love to see what Nintendo (if any) will do with the Wii U. Time will tell though, and it's only a few months away.
@get2sammyb
I'm all about giving the knockout blow as well; if you let go of the profit margin on your hardware this fall, you'll crush the competition. If MS has to compete with a $299 PS4, they'll have to start selling them at prices that will undermine the value of the console as a whole.
Btw, anyone else feels this is just Spencer hoping for a stubborn Sony that WON'T drop the price? Meaning that people will wait with their purchase till the inevitable pricedrop (insider "knowledge") and when that pricedrop doesn't come, Xbox will sell better than PS because people are holding out.
$300 and I am in this holiday. Doubt it will go that low tbh.
How about we go into a price compation where they just lower the price until one stops.They need to go down to 250 and it will sell sell sell.The Wii u needs to go down to at least 200 or less and that will sell.
250 and it a better sell to me but 300 is way too high.I buy a 250 or lower,200 or lower for one.
If they drop it to $300 and include the Uncharted collection with it (physical copy please) then I'll just have to pick one up this holiday season. I loved Golden Abyss and I'd love to play the rest of the series. Plus I'm still dying to play Bloodborne and the Last of Us. And I need to have the Gravity Rush remaster. Damn, I really need a PS4.
No regrets with my launch day purchase!!!
@wiggleronacid Just did some research and turns out it comes with a download voucher
It's not a big deal, I guess. I'm not as big of a collector as I once was.
Companies never do anything until they're forced to so I will be very surprised if there's anything more than a $50 price. MS has the games that should make a dent but I've said that plenty of other times and nothing happened. Until the competition proves to be a major threat, I don't expect Sony to do anything. I'm another believer of not taking chances and going for the knockout when the opportunity presents itself. Sony could get even more people on board before the exclusives start hitting next year, but it won't happen. Profit margin rules over everything else.
One advantage to a price drop is that it makes the full PS4 + VR thing more affordable and opens the way for a possible bundle that could be about $500-600 which doesn't seem that bad given that the PC you'd need to run Oculus Rift games would cost about $1400 - and that's without the Rift itself.
I think ppl wanting a price drop are just kidding themselves I expect one next year, but not this year, and it will probably be from $400 to $350, expecting it to go any lower would probably be ridiculous.
Of course everyone hopes for a huge price drop. But really that's not going to happen if you ask me. Why? Let's have a look at Sony's PR, which is very clear.
Sony is essentially trying to proof buying a PS4 now is an investment in the future, because all the games are coming to PS4. They use this argument to try and persuade you to invest a little more money than you actually think the PS4 is worth now.
Three things are possible:
Dropping it to 300 at once would really contradictie their PR from the last six months.
They wouldn't be able have enough stock in stores to make $300 worth it. At best I think, it'll go on a temporary sale for $350 bundled with some oldish games. That'll get people's attention and sell like hotcakes; then they can go back to $400 and make a great hardware margin while they dominates in 2016.
If they had a holiday bundle for $299 that included a year of plus and some download codes, they'd destroy the competition. They probaby won't do this, that said.
$349 MGSV/Taken King bundles incoming...
I'm all for a price drop if it happens. I'm still aiming to get a PS4 to go along my Xbox One and Wii U.
@get2sammyb I'm not expecting a permanent price drop to $300 new until Fall 2016, and hopefully that'll apply to the 1TB model as well.
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