Sony Explains PS4 Price Brazil

Last week, we reported on Sony's recent announcement that the PS4 would carry a hefty price tag in Brazil. So, rather than the $399 gamers will be paying in North America, the PS4 would cost more than $1,800 in the South American country.

After news broke of the PS4's Brazilian price point, many gamers took to our comments section to voice their outrage over the price and to show some solidarity. As well, a few gamers from Brazil came out to say that prices on consoles and other types of technology have been high for quite some time, and even explained why it is so. Needless to say, gamers in all parts of the world empathized with their South American brethren.

And, coincidentally, gamers in our comments section were not alone in their feelings about the high price point for PS4s in Brazil. In fact, Sony has come out with a public statement which explains how exactly the price jumps from $399 to $1,849.85 and says, in no uncertain terms, that the company thinks the price is "not good for gamers and is not good for [their] PlayStation brand."

To better illustrate how the price of the PS4 in Brazil gets to R$3,999, Sony has released a clear infographic, which doesn't gloss over on any element, be it taxes, transfer rates, or retailer margins.

As the infographic shows, a large portion of the PS4 price in Brazil comes from the amount of taxes consumers will have to cover as the console travels to South America. More than half of the retail price of the PS4 in Brazil is tax-related, but Sony hopes that could change in the future. The company might even start manufacturing the console in Brazil to avoid the heavy import taxes.

Right now, however, Sony must remain in compliance with import tax laws and focus on getting the PS4 to all the relevant markets this November. It's just unfortunate, and Sony agrees, that certain gamers will have to pay a lot more for the console than consumers in North America.

Do you think it was a smart move on Sony's part to release a statement with regards to the high price point in Brazil? How much would you be willing to pay for a glimpse at the next-gen?

Sony's PlayStation 4 releases November 15, 2013 in North America.

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Source: Sony (via Kotaku)