Best answer: Sony has announced that the PS5 will cost $499 and the console's digital edition will be $399.
- Digital goodies: PlayStation Store Gift Card (From $10 at Amazon)
- Try to preorder: PlayStation 5 (See at Amazon)
What will the PS5 cost?
The PS5 will launch at $499, which is right in line with analyst expectations for the console, which were based on reports that it costs $450 per unit for Sony to produce. It's also comparable to the Xbox Series X, which is also retailing for $499.
Is the PS5 Digital Edition cheaper?
This is the first time that Sony is releasing two different PlayStation SKUs simultaneously at launch. While Eurogamer reported that removing the disc drive from the PS5 would only save $20 per device, the Digital Edition costs a full $100 less at $399.
Sony might end up losing money on the device and it's still not competitive with Microsoft's budget option, the Xbox Series S, which retails for $299. Sony likely expects to make up some losses with a larger cut of digital game sales and services and by appealing to gamers who really want to play its exclusive titles but don't have the budget for two full-price systems.
How does the PS5 price compare to Xbox Series X?
Microsoft's Xbox Series X will cost $499, the same ammount as the PS5. However its lower spec, more budget conscious Xbox Series S is $100 cheaper than Sony's PS5 Digital Edition, coming in at $299.
How much did the PS4 cost?
When Sony released the PS4 in 2013, it launched at $400. When the company eventually released the PS4 Pro years later, that system also launched at $400 while the base PS4 price dropped to $300. That makes the PS5 significantly more expensive than its predecessors, but that is also the standard for this generation.
When can you buy a PS5?
PS5 preorders were meant to start Sept. 17, but retailers jumped the gun and began selling them a day early. The consoles sold out almost immediately, though it's worth checking back regularly to see if your retailer of choice gets more in stock.
Now is also a good time to pick up any accessories you want at launch. Some of the first PS5 games are also available to preorder.
For when you don't know what to play just yet
With the PS5 set to be backward compatible, you can feel comfortable buying PS4 games right now and knowing you'll be able to play them on Sony's next-gen machine. Though the company is still working to ensure all games work properly through backward compatibility, Sony plans to have almost all 4,000 PS4 games playable on PS5.
Keep checking for more chances to buy
PS5 preorders unexpectedly kicked off Sept. 16, leading to a frenzy of buying that crashed websites and depleted inventories almost immediately. Hopefully more units will be available for sale soon. In the meantime you can consider which version of the console you want, and browse launch games and accessories.
