Microsoft dropped a bombshell on the gaming industry earlier this week when it announced the Xbox Series X and S price points. Meanwhile, Sony has been famously hesitant to announce its plans for the PlayStation 5, and it seems as though it made the right call. According to a new report, the PS5 was originally "considerably" more expensive, but Sony has opted to slash its price in response to the Xbox Series X and Series S retailing for $499 and $299, respectively.
According to Gamereactor's source, Sony has decided to "slash" the price of the PS5 now that it knows how much its competition will be selling for. Apparently, Sony's new plan is to sell the standard PlayStation 5 console for $499, which would match the price of the Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, the PS5 Digital Edition, which comes without a disc tray, will supposedly be priced at $399. This still puts it at $100 more expensive than the Xbox Series S, but there are some key differences to keep in mind.
The PS5 Digital Edition has the exact same specs as the standard PS5, just without a disc tray. The Xbox Series S, meanwhile, has a much weaker GPU than the Series X, and is unable to display games at true 4K resolution as a result. Even so, the Series S is still an impressive machine, with its spec rundown confirming that the Series S has a faster CPU than the PS5.
Of course, fans should take all of this information with a grain of salt until Sony makes its official announcement. It's unclear when that may be at this point, but there's evidence that the reveal could come sooner rather than later. Amazon has leaked PlayStation 5 game box art, indicating that a big PS5 announcement could be right around the corner.
Reports from industry insiders have indicated that the PS5 price and release date announcement will likely come in the first half of the month, with the console itself set to launch in the middle of November. The Xbox Series X release date is currently planned for November 10, with Series X pre-orders opening on September 22. It's possible Sony will open PS5 pre-orders before then, but the console itself is not expected to launch until after the Series X.
Whatever the case may be, with the PS5 still expected to launch this November, fans can expect more information on the new console to be revealed soon. It's just a matter of when Sony decides to make the announcement.
Source: Gamereactor
