With both Sony and Microsoft officially starting to tease people about the Playstation 4 and the Xbox 720, people can’t help but speculate what things they should expect when these two highly-anticipated consoles finally arrive. One big question among gamers is how much these machines will cost.
One analyst is willing to offer his thoughts.
Colin Sebastian of Baird Equity Research says that the Xbox 720 and the Playstation 4 may retail for around $350-400 at launch. That may come as a shock to a lot of gamers considering the Xbox 360 launched at about $400 and the two Playstation 3, which arrived with a year later, sold at $499 and $599.
Sebastian’s research report ties together some of the speculation that have been floating around regarding the Xbox 720 and the Playstation 4:
“Given the fragile state of the console game market, we expect the E3 trade show in June will take on added significance, most likely providing the industry with the first public opportunity to examine next-generation hardware.
“Our checks suggest that next-generation console hardware will be largely built from ‘off the shelf’ high-end PC components, along with hybrid physical/digital distribution models, enhanced voice controls and motion sensing (Kinect integration with every Xbox), and broad multi-media capabilities.
“Moreover, a PC-based architecture (Intel chips in the case of Xbox) should have a number of advantages over custom-developed silicon: for one, the learning curve for software developers will be shorter than completely new technology. Second, the cost of production and retail price points should be lower than prior console launches.”
The report suggests an October launch date for the Playstation 4. The Xbox 720 will follow a month later, in November.
Do you agree with these analyst predictions? What do you think of a $400 price tag for the Xbox 720 and the Playstation 4? Discuss in the comments below.
[via GamesIndustry]