PS5 Price: Sony Says It's Focused On Value Over Price Alone

Since this interview has been conducted, Microsoft has confirmed the price for its two next-gen systems, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. They will be priced at $499 and $299, respectively, and release on November 10.

One of the biggest omissions from Sony's recent PlayStation 5 reveal event was what you can expect to pay for the console when it launches during Holiday 2020. Everyone is wondering what the PS5's price will be, and according to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, the company is working hard on balancing the price--but is prioritizing value ahead of its final cost. This could mean the console could end up being more than we expected it to be--and could potentially set up an intriguing competition with the Xbox Series X if it is not priced similarly.

In an interview with the BBC (via Comic Book), Ryan noted the gaming industry's resistance to periods of recession, but ensured that Sony was working on the right "value equation" for the PS5.

"Conventional wisdom and history show that our business is one of the more recession-proof businesses," explained Ryan. "But I think this will sharpen our need to ensure that we focus on getting the value equation right. And I emphasize value as opposed to price."

Shaking up previous price guesses was the surprising reveal of two PS5 consoles, with the PS5 Digital Edition omitting the disc-drive. Ryan was asked whether this would constitute a major price difference, to which he stood firm on the notion that it was done simply to offer choice to players.

"You're not going to hear anything on price today," continued Ryan. "But many of our consumers are purchasing solely digitally these days. We thought that we would do what we typically try and do, and just offer choice."

Amazon previously listed the PS5 with a staggering price of over $700 before Sony's event, before the retailer removed them and apologized for the error. This price would put it well ahead of the infamous $599 price tag for the PS3's 60GB model, which was major cause for concern in the early days of the generation due to the Xbox 360's far lower cost.

Microsoft has also not discussed pricing for its Xbox Series X, and is reportedly working on their own alternative to their next-gen console. We discussed our own predictions for the PS5 price recently too, but you should check our PS5 pre-order guide for alerts on when the console eventually goes up for order.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All--a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer's hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.