With the Xbox Series X slowly building momentum in the run-up to its release this holiday, many have questioned why Sony's marketing campaign for the PlayStation 5 hasn't done the same. Although the highly-anticipated next-generation console is inching closer to its release by the day, Sony has opted to remain strangely silent on what players can expect from its next piece of revolutionary gaming hardware. However, it seems PlayStation fans might finally have an answer on why the company has been very reserved when discussing its next console, with a new report from Bloomberg.com shedding light on new issues currently being faced over at Sony.
According to the publication, Sony is currently unsure of whether to change its marketing plans surrounding the PlayStation 5, with the company seemingly thinking about altering the console's price point, release date, and reveal. This is partially down to COVID-19 as many would expect, but also down to the ambitious specifications of the PlayStation 5, the scarcity of the components needed to make the console, and how expensive units will be to build.
According to Bloomberg, "Game developers who’ve been creating titles for the next PlayStation anticipate its price to be in the region of $499 to $549," with the high price point being for "increased component costs pushing up the price required for Sony to break even." This was supposedly a concern for Sony, who is considering producing fewer consoles to accommodate for potential lower demand in the face of the high price point.
However, it appears plans for that price point might be scrapped, with other insiders talking with Bloomberg believing that both the Series X and PlayStation 5 will debut at the $450 mark in an effort to compete with each other regardless of the fact they'll likely make a loss. It seems Sony is willing to scrap a number of its plan to stay above its competition and to account for the expensive components that power its console.
In turn, it seems Sony is unsure of when to reveal the PlayStation 5. Of course, the company is naturally going to want a fixed price point and an idea of console production numbers before they show the PlayStation 5 off to the world, while the Coronavirus may mean Sony has to "forgo hosting a public press conference for its PS5 release date and price unveiling due to infection fears." Bloomberg even claimed that Sony "may be forced to push the [release] date back due to the pandemic," showing that the console's planned debut may be scrapped as well. Regardless, it seems it could be some time before players get to see what Sony has been working on for all these years.
PlayStation 5 is set to launch Holiday of 2020.
Source: Bloomberg