The PS5 and Xbox Series X prices could be higher than expected, suggests and analyst firm. There has been huge speculation over the price of the next-generation consoles and a new report said that there could be limited supply of PS5s as price leads to lower demand.
Analysis firm Ampere Analysis has published a new report with its suggestions of what the PS5 and Xbox Series X price could be. The firm says that the consoles will be priced at between $450-$500.
The analysis firm also expects a recession, prompted by COVID-19, to "undermine" sales of the two consoles. Any effect of a recession "will be more significantly felt later in 2021 once the initial early adopter launch surge ends," says the report.
The report also says the PS5 and Xbox Series X sales could be lower as fewer games feel the need to upgrade. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X will have backward compatibility which and the analysis firm expects "most" new third-party games to be supported by PS4 and Xbox One for 18 months, giving gamers fewer reasons to buy the new consoles.
Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has confirmed the Xbox Series X exclusive game plans, saying that the console is unlikely to have any exclusives for the first year or two after launch. Releasing Xbox exclusives that are available on the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X could also lead to lower sales for the new console.
Looking at the report, some may suggest that Xbox is in a better position than PlayStation to weather a recession and deal with potentially lower next-gen console sales. If gamers are affected by the recession and don't have money to buy the Xbox Series X at launch, Xbox will offer a more affordable way to get it. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that the team will "go big" on the Xbox All Access subscription which allows subscribers to spread the cost of a new console.
It seems unlikely that PlayStation will launch something like Xbox All Access for the PS5. If the company is planning to offer the PS5 in limited supply at launch, then it seems to be happy to sell the console at a higher price. This could mean that fewer PS5s are sold at launch but that is all part of Sony's plan.
Source: Ampere Analysis