Sony releasing PlayStation 5 will be rolled out in November as computer gaming booms through the pandemic, taking on a new product from PlayStation competitor Xbox. A streamed event featuring games customized for PS5 ended with the news that two console versions will be launched in Australia, North America, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan , South Korea and only a week after in the rest of the country. On November 12, the premium PS5 will be priced at $500, while a “digital version” will be priced at $400 according to the introduction, optimized for the trend of games downloaded from the cloud.
“We are making a huge jump with PlayStation 5 to offer a completely new generation of groundbreaking playing experiences that will redefine standards about what gaming should be,” said Jim Ryan, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, when the console was first released.
A dark tower with white sides that enclose it like a partly open clamshell, Sony has shown games that are ready for PS5 and given a look at the screen. A “complete” PS5 model has a game or video disc slot, while the digital model does not, because games can be downloaded or played in the cloud through the internet.
“We’ve gotten incredible support from developers and gaming enthusiasts around the world since we first unveiled our next generation console last year, and it’s very humbling,” said Jim Ryan, Chief Executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment. We can’t wait for our fans to witness the phenomenal tempo, the enhanced immersion and the awesome games on PS5 for themselves when we launch this November.
Last week Microsoft revealed it would launch the next-generation Xbox game console on November 10, with an approximate starting price the same as the PS5’s. The upcoming XBox Series X, Microsoft’s flagship console that competes especially against Sony releasing PlayStation 5 consoles, will be available as of September 22 for pre-orders.
In November, Microsoft announced it would also launch a slimmed-down Xbox S gaming console valued at $299. Xbox has outsold the new PlayStation 4 by more than two to one, but Microsoft hopes to take the fight back to Sony. As more users switch to computer games after the coronavirus pandemic and with the market switching to cloud-based games that are streamed digitally, the new consoles are introduced.
According to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, in August more than $3.3 billion was spent on video game hardware, material, and accessories in the US. Among the largest growth segments were digital and mobile content, along with subscriptions, Piscatella said in a survey. According to NPD, about $26 billion has been invested so far this year alone on video game content in the US.
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