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Sony’s plans for the PS5 price (opens in new tab) have not been affected by the production challenges caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking with BBC Newsbeat (opens in new tab), Sony president and CEO Jim Ryan confirmed that while the pandemic has created production and distribution challenges, it has not delayed or derailed the company’s plans for a global 2020 PS5 launch, nor has it forced it to shift its price point.
“It’s obviously introducing a level of complexity any business would prefer not to have to deal with,” he says. “But we’re feeling really good about the supply chain, we’re going to launch this year and we’ll be global.”
“Whether it’s hardware engineers who can’t get into China because of COVID and [are] still having to finalize prototypes with the 200 different suppliers, or software engineers or the people who make games,” he adds. “Everybody’s just rolled their sleeves up and got on with it. We’re going to launch this holiday, we’re going to have a global launch, and we’re feeling good about things.”
With much of next-gen console production tied up in China, where the COVID-19 pandemic began, actually manufacturing consoles has undoubtedly been more challenging for both Sony and Microsoft compared to previous console generations. This sparked concerns that the price of next-gen consoles would be slightly increased to account for additional distribution or production costs incurred due to coronavirus-related complications, but with Ryan’s statement, both Sony and Microsoft (opens in new tab) have now confirmed that their pricing and launch plans remain unchanged.
Of course, we still don’t know what the PS5 price is, but with the PlayStation Future of Gaming event (opens in new tab) set for June 4, that may change soon enough – perhaps not at this reveal, but in the ones to follow.
