Sony Hasn't Decided On PS5's Price Yet

Sony chose not to divulge any new information regarding the PlayStation 5 in its earnings call last night, but some statements made during its subsequent Q&A session have indicated that a price for the next-generation console hasn't yet been settled on.

Sony Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki was asked about his previous statements (during a Q&A transcribed on Seeking Alpha)regarding a "smooth transition" to next-generation hardware, and what factors could contribute to both initial shipping volumes and price.

"What is not very clear or visible, it's because we are competing in the space, so it's very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time," said Totoki. "And depending upon the price level, we may have to determine the promotion that we are going to deploy and how much costs we are prepared to pay."

This indicates that Sony might be waiting for a move from its competitors before settling on a price for the PS5, with Totoki stating that the margins the company is willing to take on its hardware sales will be determined by how aggressive their pricing will need to be. While not directly mentioning them, the only other competitor this year for Sony is Microsoft and its Xbox Series X, which is also without a price as of yet.

The launch price of new consoles is incredibly important, as indicative with the PS4 originally undercutting the Xbox One by $100 in 2013. While not solely responsible for its success, it initially made Sony's offering more attractive, and it's likely the company wants to replicate that later this year.

The PS5 is scheduled to launch sometime in 2020, with the Xbox Series X expected in Holiday 2020. Although Sony hasn't detailed the console much further, it has launched an official website for it.