We've seen the games, we've seen the console – but we still don't know the PS5 price. Even after last week's big PlayStation 5 showcase, Sony remains tight-lipped on the cost of its new console, and instead is making only vague references to its apparent value.
Speaking to the BBC, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan wanted to "emphasize value as opposed to price". With that in mind, the company is offering two different designs of the PS5 – a disc-based offering and a digital only PS5.
Ryan said that "consumers are purchasing solely digitally these days" and that the company would be doing "what we typically try and do" by "just [offering] choice" to its consumers.
But Ryan did not contextualize that 'value' proposition with any hard pricing figures, failing to acknowledge that even 'value' can be defined very differently dependent on your income.
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Recession proof?
That value proposition will be more important than ever, given the current global financial climate. The financial fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to be fully felt, but it's understood that many nations may be approaching the worst recessions in a generation, if not a century.
Ryan remained confident around the PlayStation's ability to perform in these difficult financial times, but acknowledged Sony's need to adapt to a fast-changing situation.
"Conventional wisdom and history show that our business is one of the more recession-proof businesses," said Ryan.
"But I think this will sharpen our need to ensure that we focus on getting the value equation right. And I emphasize value as opposed to price.
"We must be more attentive than ever before to ensure that the overall value proposition in terms of the console and the games - the range of games, the quality of games, the quantity of games – makes this something that our community aspires towards."
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