When can we really count on PS5 price reductions?

The current Sony console is quite an interesting case. We do not remember any other platform getting more expensive two years after its debut, instead of getting cheaper, as custom dictates. It’s different when we talk about retro equipment, which, for obvious reasons, gain in value. PS5 went on sale in November, 2020. It is no longer a new, but the current generation. Many customers hoped that the manufacturer would lower the price of the equipment. Well, it turned out differently. Of course, PlayStation 5 is not an isolated case in this regard. Another question arises. Namely, when will the console actually stop?

The situation looks quite different than in the case of the competition. Microsoft made an interesting decision to release two consoles at the same time. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series helped each other. Thanks to the presence of a cheaper alternative with similar performance (although there are quite significant differences in recent titles), the manufacturer has no particular reason to lower the price ceiling for the Series X. It will not happen soon. Sony currently has no alternative, except for the moderately desirable Digital model. One can only be happy that the availability problem, known from the first months of the console’s presence on the market, has disappeared.

Rare species

It’s still pretty hard to get the “bare” version without the shop-built kits. This procedure is a simple way to regulate stock levels. There are no pads, games, but they are attached to the console. At one time, some sellers added TVs when the PS5 was still a scarce commodity. Today, however, such practices are rare. Analysts assumed that the price of the console would drop by a full $200 by the end of 2021. How it is, everyone can see. Sony released a slightly cheaper, driveless model, but customers did not really rush. These are issues of horrendously expensive games in the PlayStation digital store. The company launched in the summer of PlayStation Plus Premium, with a fairly extensive catalog, but the service is not as popular as Xbox Game Pass. Again, it’s a matter of price. There are actually promotions from which you can get some “good” for relatively little money.

Surprisingly, the driveless model did not become cheaper either. In fact, little is said about him. Probably, it’s a matter of reduced interest compared to the “complete” version of the hardware. Despite the fact that we are talking about the same computing power. Sony introduces some changes with subsequent production lines, but for the honest consumer, there is not much difference here. There are also slightly more expensive packages in stores, containing the released Dual Sense Edge controller. Let’s also expect similar initiatives when PS VR 2 enters the market. So even if the price of the console itself goes down, sellers will always complete sets, so the price difference will remain insignificant. Especially since a few older titles or new releases are added. Yes, PS5 in the stripped version is a rare specimen.

New model?

Many observers believe that Sony will lower the price of the console with the release of the new version. Are we talking about the PS5 Slim? The price would have to be lowered from the start, because looking back, Sony did just that. Here the chances are definitely better than in the case of the release of the enhanced version, PS5 Pro. The differences in the power rate would be so big that the price of the basic version does not have to change at all. For a simple reason, the price of PS5 Pro will be drastically higher if the manufacturer actually decided to take this step. The current one, 2023, will be decisive in this respect.

The most important thing today is the profitability of production. Experts rightly point out that the preparation of reinforced PS5 base models involves much higher costs per transistor. Companies that produce integrated circuits are not making it easy, as prices continue to rise. We also do not count on an imminent reduction in console prices. The issue of selling only kits is also of great importance here. Stores have adopted an effective tactic of getting rid of surpluses in warehouses. The procedure is still ongoing, there is little indication that this state of affairs will change in the near future. PlayStation 5 has proven to all of us that the best time to buy a new console is the pre-order period. Only then can you be sure that the console will arrive on time. And the price, even if it goes down, will be effectively boosted by the added “goodies” by sales networks. Application? This state of affairs will not change soon.