The price of Sony's PlayStation 5 might give you sticker shock

Sony's PS5 is apparently really pricey for the company to make, and as a result, it likely won't be very cheap for customers to buy.

Bloomberg claimed the cost to build the console is about $450 per unit - whereas the PS4 was about $380 - reportedly because the machine has a more-expensive cooling system. Sony is also running into trouble sourcing DRAM and flash memory in enough quantities for mass production. Add it all up, and analysts believe the retail price for the new console could be as much as $470.

Keep in mind the PS3 launched with a $500 price tag, or $600 for the 60GB version, while the PS4 was $400. Microsoft even launched the Xbox One X at $500. In other words, people are accustomed to forking over a lot of cash for a premium rig. And the PS5 is expected to be ultra-premium, with support for 8K video, ray tracing, a Ryzen-based CPU, and instant loading times.

It's worth noting that the cost of a specced out gaming PC is likely to be hundreds or even thousands more than a top-end gaming console.

Let's also not forget that many tech companies, from Apple to Microsoft and even Sony, have been pivoting to services recently to grow revenue. Through the PlayStation Network, including digital games, DLC, and subscription services, Sony made over $12 billion in 2019. Even Sony's PS Plus service has nearly 39 million annual subscribers and serves as a billion-dollar revenue stream.

Sony is expected to launch the PS5 later this year. Check out our rumour roundup on the next-generation console here.

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