After months of speculation, Sony finally revealed the price of the PS5 on September 16. This is 100 days less than the time between the PS4's price announcement seven years ago and the console's release.

The delay in the announcement led many to speculate that Sony had been forced to change its pricing in response to the Corona virus affecting both the supply chain and household budgets. However, according to PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, that was not the case.

"Our desired pricing was determined earlier this year before the lockdown," Ryan told Edge Magazine, according to Wccftech.

This has not changed, he insisted, and there was always a plan for the disc-free version to sell for the same price as the PS4. 'We could have launched the PlayStation 5 for $399, or €399, the same price we launched the PS4 for in 2013.'

This also pours cold water on another reason for the delay in the price announcement: the theory that Sony confirmed the MSRP of Microsoft's Xbox Series X before deciding on the price. Nevertheless, just because Sony had always wanted to sell the disc-free console for $399 does not mean that they would not have been forced to make adjustments if Microsoft offered a price that was significantly lower than that.

Whether this is all or not, it is clear that both Sony and Microsoft could have afforded to price their respective consoles a bit higher if they had wanted to. Both consoles were sold out as soon as they hit store shelves following the pre-order confusion.

Covid may have brought us to the brink of a global recession, but it seems certain that there is still a desire for more $499 game consoles than both Sony and Microsoft can produce. Microsoft has even stated that it expects the shortage to continue into next year.

If you are still looking for a next-generation gaming console before Christmas, all hope is not lost. Our website is regularly updated with information on where to buy the PS5 and where to buy the Xbox Series X.