PlayStation 5 matches the price of Xbox Series X

Sony has matched the price of its flagship PlayStation 5 with that of the Xbox Series X. Last time around, the PS4 significantly outperformed the Xbox One.

Sony also confirmed that the “digital edition” of the PS5, which has no disk drive, would cost roughly 40% more than the lower-end Xbox Series S.

Both PS5 consoles will launch on November 19 in the UK and November 12 in the US and Japan.

That puts them slightly later than Microsoft’s November 10 release date.

Sony was the undisputed leader in the last generation of the so-called console wars.

The various PlayStation 4 consoles outsold the Xbox One range by a factor of more than two to one.

But the £ 449 / $ 500 / € 500 cost of the Japanese firm’s new high-end machine and the £ 360 / $ 400 / € 400 price of the digital edition means this time it may be a closer battle, at least to start.

Some industry observers believe that Microsoft’s combination of a £ 250 price tag for the XBox Series S and the value offered by the Xbox Game Pass subscription service could give the US firm an edge.

Microsoft offers members its first blockbuster games at launch in its game library, as opposed to Sony’s existing PlayStation Now services, which are limited to previous major releases.

Sony showed off a new subscription service called the PlayStation Plus Collection for the PS5.

But it seemed to focus on the PS4’s biggest hits, including Last of Us Remastered, God of War, and Bloodborne, rather than any of the upcoming PS5 releases.

“Microsoft has a really attractive offering with the Xbox Series S price tag at just £ 250, and Sony doesn’t really have an answer to that for people who just want the cheapest possible entry point for next-gen games,” he said. video game journalist Laura Dale told the BBC.

“However, people who want to play any of Sony’s own franchises are unlikely to go for Xbox just because it’s cheaper.”

A key difference between the two companies’ strategies is that Microsoft’s next-gen entry-level console will offer lower-resolution graphics than its more expensive sister, while Sony has opted only to remove the Blu-ray drive from its entry-level machine. entry.

On that basis, your marketers can still argue that it provides a better value way to experience the full power of what next-gen gaming consoles can offer.

Still, Sony is likely to center its appeal on the appeal of its “console-only” titles.

To that end, during his last virtual event he showed progress and gameplay for:

Sony also teased its upcoming God of War sequel Ragnarok, which it said would be released next year, but only showed an animated logo.

“PS5 may have released three console-exclusive titles before Xbox Series X manages to launch its first Halo Infinite, with no date specified in 2021 as of yet,” said Louise Shorthouse, Omdia gaming analyst.

“Consumers also tend to stick with the same console brands across generations, so Sony is in an incredibly strong position.”

Many of the games on display had been previously seen at a previous event in June.

But there was also a first look at Harry Potter’s long-awaited Hogwarts legacy. The role-playing game will be a multiplatform release in 2021.

“The two higher-spec consoles are close to each other in terms of specification: the Xbox has more storage, but the PS5 is a bit faster,” said Nicky Danino, a gaming expert at the University of Central Lancashire.

“But there are still reasons why people choose a specific console. The platform that your friends play on, for example, is very influential.”

It appears that Sony is almost tripping over arch-rival Microsoft by matching the price of the PS5 to that of the Xbox Series X.

The tactic will have surprised many industry observers.

Xbox felt compelled to reveal its prices last week after a leak. And this seemed to give PlayStation a second-move advantage.

But when I spoke to PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, he insisted that PS5 prices had been set since the beginning of the year. Also, he said, today’s announcement had been in his diary for some time.

On paper, the Xbox Series X is the most powerful machine.

But PlayStation has a solid lineup of platform-exclusive titles.

And the Halo Infinite delay, after fans complained that the images shown earlier in the year were disappointing, has been a major blow to Microsoft’s original release plans.

But is the PS5 fighting the next-gen console war?

Xbox has an attractive offer with its Game Pass Ultimate subscription service. So even if Xbox doesn’t sell as many physical consoles as PlayStation, it can still turn out at least as profitable.

When I asked Mr. Ryan about the possibility of a similar service, he said that PlayStation was all about big blockbuster games that cost a lot to make, so a similar subscription service model would not make financial sense.

We’ll find out if you stick to that strategy in 2021 or beyond once supply meets demand.