- Sony did not reveal the PS5 price during its games event on Thursday, but the company did surprise fans with an exciting announcement.
- The PlayStation 5 designs were shown off right at the end of the online press conference, without Sony providing any commentary about it.
- But Sony’s PS5 design trailer contained a crucial revelation, the existence of a PS5 Digital Edition console.
Sony unveiled plenty of exciting PlayStation games during its event on Thursday, and then it shocked fans with the unexpected “one more thing” reveal: the full design of the new console. The PS5 was shown in all its glory via a game-like trailer. There was no voiceover, and Sony execs didn’t show up on the screen to talk to explain the design in every way. The PS5 looks much better than the Xbox Series X, some people will tell you. Others appreciate more the minimalistic design of the new Xbox over the Sony’s curvy console. But what Sony told us without actually saying anything was even more important than sharing the PS5 final design. The company made it clear that a cheaper PS5 will be available to gamers.
When you preorder the PS5 this fall, you’ll have to pick between the regular PlayStation 5 and the PS5 Digital Edition. The former includes a Blu-ray disk, while the latter doesn’t have one. The Digital Edition is slightly sleeker than the regular PS5 as a result. But, more importantly, it’s also going to be cheaper than the PS5.
That’s really the most exciting announcement coming out of Sony’s online-only event. Yes, the games look good, and some exciting titles are on the way. And yes, the PS5 design is no longer a mystery. But I dare say the PS5 price is even more important than anything else, especially this year.
The novel coronavirus has dealt a crippling blow to the worldwide economy, and we may need years to fully recover. The PS5 is already expected to carry a higher price point at launch than its predecessor, with $499 being the most popular guess right now. Couple these two factors, and you end up with millions of gamers who will have to put the PS5 purchase on hold for a while.
Like Microsoft, Sony is very aware of all of that. The 825GB SSD is a compromise between a super-fast storage solution, and Sony’s need to keep down the cost. The PS5 Digital Edition will further help Sony offer gamers a more affordable PS5 version at launch. The device is the equivalent of the Xbox One S All Digital, which also lacks a disk. The PS5 will be a lot more powerful than the Xbox, of course.
It’s unclear how much the Digital Edition will cost compared to the regular console. The Xbox One S is $50 more expensive than the All Digital version, before any discounts and promos. Sony could follow a similar strategy for the PS5 line. Or it could offer buyers a more significant discount, say $100. A $399 PS5 Digital Edition does sound like a great deal for a device that will offer tremendous performance.
Also, the Digital Edition puts pressure on Microsoft. The company is already rumored that it’s looking to undercut the PS5 price, but it’s unclear whether Microsoft will be able to sell a Series X below whatever Sony will charge for the Digital Edition.
