Prices for the next generation of game consoles have been released, and while the top-of-the-line PS5 and Xbox Series X are both priced at $500, the two companies have different ideas about their less expensive products. Microsoft offers a $300 Xbox Series S with reduced specs for HD/2K games, while Sony offers the same PS5 without a disc drive for $400.

But did Sony ever consider a Series S-style PS5 for gamers without a 4K set, and according to PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, apparently they did.

"The first thing I want to say is that we respect the judgment and philosophy of all our competitors," he told Japanese site AV Watch (translated via Microsoft Edge).

"Obviously, 'price' is one of the key factors. We respect the competitive strategy of other companies.

"One thing you can say is that if you look at the history of the industry, putting a low-spec gaming console in a certain price range doesn't produce very happy results. We have thought about that as well. We know that other operators have tried it and had problems."

I'm not sure which console Ryan is referring to here. It is because no one has ever tried anything like what Microsoft is attempting in the console arena. Sure, there was the Wii Mini, which dropped Internet access, SD card support, and backwards compatibility for a lower price, but that is not entirely consistent with the Xbox Series S. Perhaps he is referring to a project that ultimately never saw the light of day?

Whatever the reason, Ryan asserts that Sony made the right decision in choosing the PS5 Digital Edition over the lower-spec model. Ryan says, "Our research shows that when people buy a gaming console, they want to keep using it for four, five, six, or seven years. We want to make sure that what we buy is safe for the future; we don't want something that will be obsolete in one or three years."

By this measure, Sony definitely has the upper hand in the PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S battle. While the former has 10 teraflops of power, the same as the $500 PS5, the Xbox Series S has 4 teraflops, down significantly from the Series X's 12 teraflops. It also has 825 GB of SSD storage, more than the Series S's 512 GB. Neither has a disk drive, which is important given that the games must be all digital.

But there are pitfalls. While disc-free PS5 buyers will be at the mercy of Sony's digital game pricing, Xbox Series S owners can take comfort in the knowledge that all of Microsoft's first-party titles are included in the company's Game Pass subscription game service can be.

Pre-orders for the PS5 have already opened and quickly closed, but Sony has stated that more pre-orders will open soon; those who want an Xbox Series X or S will have a chance to pre-order starting at 8 a.m. (11 a.m. EDT) on September 22.