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TOKYO / STOCKHOLM: Sony Corp said its next-generation PlayStation 5 console would launch in November at a price of $ 499.99 and $ 399.99 for a drive-less version as it takes on the Xbox console of its rival Microsoft Corp.
The pricing announcement sets the stage for a year-end showdown between Xbox and PlayStation, as consumers continue to flock to consoles optimized for games that offer exclusive titles.
Microsoft said last week that the Xbox Series X would go on sale on November 10 at a price of $ 499.99 and the less powerful Xbox Series S at a price of $ 299.99, as Xbox is betting on offering options to Consumers will overcome the risks they take by launching two different devices at the same time.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are the same price, but the $ 399.99 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition “offers a substantial discount at no cost in terms of performance or hardware, in addition to the disc drive,” said Guilherme Fernandes, analyst at the game analysis firm. Newzoo.
Hardware pricing decisions have won and lost generational console battles as manufacturers seek to build the critical mass of consumers that will attract game developers to their platform.
Sony, which is stylistically moving away from recent generations with the predominantly white PlayStation 5, offers the drive-less version as digital downloads become standard.
Upcoming titles released for the console include exclusive platformer “Final Fantasy XVI” from Square Enix, a new “God of War” title from Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, and a “Harry Potter” role-playing game.
The announcement bolsters the PlayStation lineup following the reveal of a host of titles, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales from in-house studio Insomniac Games in June. That title will also be available on PlayStation 4, Sony said.
Sony’s line of “fantastic” games shows that it is “betting more aggressively on exclusives” with “Microsoft focused on cheaper entry prices for users to enter the Xbox ecosystem,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the consultancy of the Kantan Games game industry.
With both companies looking to generate recurring revenue, Sony said that PlayStation Plus subscribers will have access to a catalog of titles from the old PlayStation 4.
Gaming industry revenue has skyrocketed among consumers who stayed at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to propel Sony shares 46% from their March lows.
Heading into the year-end shopping season, “he’s balancing a weak economy with an increased need for people to entertain themselves at home,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
The PlayStation 5 will go on sale on November 12 in the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea and on November 19 in the rest of the world. – Reuters
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