PS6 Price Could Hit $700+ as New Leak Reveals Expensive Cost to Make Console
· Vice
A new PlayStation 6 leak may have revealed how much the console will cost, and it’s more expensive than expected. According to a reliable insider, Sony could be facing a massive production cost, which could push the PS6 price higher than previous generations.
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PS6 Cost to Make Reportedly Revealed by Insider
Screenshot: PlayStationAnother week, another PlayStation 6 leak. However, this latest rumor is worth paying attention to, as it comes from the often reliable tech insider KeplerL2. In a post on the popular NeoGAF forums, the hardware leaker recently revealed that the PS6 will reportedly cost Sony around $750 to manufacture.
Before you panic reading that figure, Kepler clarifies that the next-gen PlayStation could still be sold for $699. “My current Bills of Material (BOM) estimate for PS6 is ~$760. So I would say $699 is still possible with a reasonable subsidy. The question is if Sony will even bother now that Xbox is not direct competition anymore.”
Screenshot: NeoGAF Kepler2Of course, Kepler is referring to rumors that the next-gen Xbox will be a high-end PC that won’t compete with PlayStation. According to various leaks, Xbox Helix could cost as high as $1,000 based on its leaked spec components. Interestingly, KeplerL2 is saying that Sony could choose to not make their PS6 price competitive if Microsoft is charging much more for their device anyways.
Why the PS6 Could Cost $700 or More
Screenshot: PlayStationAssuming KeplerL2’s cost-to-produce figures are correct, it actually gives us a lot of information with regards to the PS6’s potential retail pricing. Sony has a history of selling their consoles at a loss at launch. So just because its components currently cost $750 doesn’t mean they will sell the PlayStation 6 for $800 to make a profit.
Here are some reasons why the PS6 price could be $699:
- In 2006, the PS3 was sold at a substantial loss.
- In 2013, the PS4 initially was sold at a loss of $60 per unit.
- The PS5 was also sold at a loss. Estimates are around $20 per unit.
- A $699 PS6 price could get subsidized.
- The PS5 Pro currently costs $750, and the PS6 should be more powerful.
The biggest takeaway is that Sony is not afraid to sell their consoles at a loss initially. The Japanese publisher’s business model has always been to get customers in the door so they can recoup profits off software sales and subscription services like PS Plus.
Finally, if we look at the PS4’s launch in 2013, the console was sold at a $60 loss per unit. This lines up with the PS6 costing $750 but being sold for $699 instead. Of course, this is all speculation.
Is the PS6 Price Leak Reliable?
As I mentioned earlier, KeplerL2 is one of the most reliable hardware leakers in the industry. Not only have they been around for years, but they also have a long track record of accurate information. Unlike most gaming rumors, console hardware leaks tend to come from actual manufacturing data.
A big reason we largely know the PS6 specs already is because those parts have to be ordered and manufactured in advance. So KeplerL2’s estimated “bills of materials” are likely based on the parts we know are currently being produced. That said, it’s important to note that Kepler said “estimate.” So there is room for that figure to be lower or higher.
How Xbox Helix Could Impact PS6 Pricing
Screenshot: MicrosoftThe big elephant in the room, though, is Xbox Helix. One of the more interesting points that KeplerL2 brings up is competitive pricing. In the past when Sony was directly competing with Xbox, they were more willing to sell consoles at a loss to be priced competitively. However, if Xbox Helix ends up costing $1,000, for example, then Sony might not feel they need to sell at a loss.
If this ends up being the case, then we could see a $750 or even an $800 PS6 at launch. As absurd as that sounds, the PS6 Pro will cost $899 starting in April. Last week Sony announced a PlayStation price increase. And if the PS6 is stronger than the PS5 Pro, then it might not make sense to sell it for as low as $699. As you can imagine, that would put Sony’s Pro model in a pretty weird situation.
Screenshot: PlayStationWhile insiders claim the PS6 will launch in 2027, a part of me thinks it will get pushed back to 2028. I just can’t see Sony making their PS5 Pro model obsolete within the next year and a half. Regardless, based on its manufacturing costs, it appears the PS6 price is likely to be very expensive when it eventually launches.
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