Speculation has raged as to why Sony is so noticeably absent from this year’s E3. Michael Pachter has something to say about that. And he also has something to say about the possible cost of the PlayStation 5—namely that it could be as much as $800. Thankfully, he knows that number isn’t all that realistic. But the point he is making does suggest a high cost for the next gen Sony console.
Here is What Michael Pachter Had to Say About the Cost of the PS5
The discussion about the potential cost of the PlayStation 5 took place in an interview between Michael Pachter and Geoff Keighley. You can watch the interview segment here:
Keighley begins by asking Pachter to make a wild prediction. Pachter responds by stating that the PS5 will cost $800. He then goes on, “Have you looked at the specs? If they make the mistake they made with the PS3 and charge $600 or more, they’ve screwed themselves. So I don’t understand it … I don’t know how you spec that thing out at $300 or $400 – I just don’t know.”
He also says in the interview that the reason Sony might have skipped E3 is because they had no good news to offer. And rather than showing up and disappointing people (with, for example, a high price point for PS5), they may simply have opted out of the entire situation. There is no way to say whether or not this is true, but it isn’t a bad hypothesis.
Pachter’s tone during the entire conversation is light, and to some extent, he appears to be making a joke about the $800 cost. But he is at least partly serious. He is entirely right that it would be tough to justify a $300-$400 price point on such a powerful device. On the other hand, Michael Pachter is also right that setting the price above $600 will make it hard to move sales. Many consumers would have a very hard time with such an outlay.
Even though Sony is not at E3, this is not the only rumor about the PS5 to come out of the event. There are also rumors that PS5 will be more powerful than Xbox Project Scarlett. When we do find out some concrete news about the next PlayStation, you will be able to find it in our PlayStation news area. And we will, of course, continue to keep you posted on all the newest rumors as well.