How Will The Xbox Series S and Series X Price Affect The PlayStation 5 Launch?

Published 09/08/2020, 5:22 AM EDT

Follow Us

In a shocking turn of events, Xbox officially announced its rumored Xbox Series S console. They had to give in to the rumors that had pointed towards its existence and decided to make it official. The Xbox Series S will be priced are $299 ERP (Estimated Retail Price). The question now remains, how will this affect the PlayStation 5 launch?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

When the world was gearing up for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 announcement back in 2013, Xbox made the first move there as well. But, it did not work in its favor. Microsoft decided to price the Xbox One at $499, whereas PlayStation 4 was priced at $399. This $100 difference was enough to declare Sony as the clear winner in the previous generation of the ‘console war’. The PS4 managed top out-sell Xbox One by a margin and there was nothing Xbox could do about it.

Here, they learned two important lessons: 1. Let your rival make the first move 2. Aggressive pricing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Xbox Series S announcement spells trouble for PlayStation 5

While they have possibly managed to pull off aggressive pricing, Xbox was again the first one to announce its price for the next-gen console. Even though the Series S is a lesser counterpart of the Series X, it is still a huge deal considering it will be able to run the next-gen games. Xbox obviously failed spectacularly to keep it a secret, but it seems all hope isn’t lost. Its pricing makes it a great choice for fans who don’t wish to spend extra on the Series X. Moreover, this means trouble for Sony.

So far, Sony has unveiled a digital-only and a disc+digital version of the PS5. Rumors suggested that it will cost more than the Xbox Series X. It also meant that Sony won’t have a cheaper counterpart of the PS5 to compete with the Xbox Series S. Additionally, players need the PlayStation 5 to play the next-gen games, since the rumors suggested that not all games will be backwards compatible.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

This could be a major problem for the folks at Sony. Xbox now has an edge over them in terms of price. It is one of the major factors influencing a customer’s buying decision and Xbox is currently winning. It will be interesting to see how PlayStation plans to counter this.

Since the Series S is officially announced, it could also mean that a Sony announcement is nearby. For now, the world waits for Sony to make a move. Over to you, Sony!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Akshay Patel

624Articles

One take at a time

Akshay Patel is the Group Head of the eSports division at EssentiallySports. After having obtained his BBA degree, Akshay has been in the field of social media and content creation since 2018. He grew up playing Counter-Strike and has been hooked on gaming ever since.
Show More>