Sony recently shared the first details about the PlayStation 5 and what consumers can expect from the upcoming console, but stopped short of announcing a PS5 release date or price point. However, that hasn't stopped people from making some educated guesses. Most predictions put the PS5 price point at about $499, but at least one analyst thinks it will actually be cheaper than many are expecting.

Pelham Smithers of the Pelham Smithers Associates market research firm believes that, based on what PS5 architect Mark Cerny described, the PS5 will likely use the AMD Ryzen 3600G CPU. The AMD Ryzen 3600G will likely retail for somewhere around $180 to $220 by the end of the year, which would put it at the right price range for a console that costs $399, according to Smithers. This would make the PS5 the same price the PS4 was at launch and $100 cheaper than most estimates.

Before potential PS5 owners get too excited about Smithers' prediction, though, it's worth pointing out that other analysts disagree with him. In fact, the general consensus seems to be that the PS5 price point will be $499, as there are already consoles on the market that cost that much and are not nearly as powerful. If the PS5 release date is in 2020 as many have predicted, then that's plenty of time for current-generation consoles to drop in price and for the new-generation hardware to take their place.

analyst predicts ps5 price point and release date

Ultimately, the only way we're going to know the PS5 price point for sure is when Sony itself decides to reveal more information about it. If the PS5 release date is holiday 2020, then pricing will likely have to wait until E3 2020 or even later. However, if the PS5 comes out a bit earlier, then maybe the price will be revealed at the PlayStation Experience in December.

This year's PlayStation Experience event has long been rumored to be where Sony will properly unveil the PS5. And there are other rumors that claim the PS5 may release in March 2020 instead of next holiday season, which could make a PS5 price announcement this December somewhat believable. However, we must caution that this is all just speculation at this time, and the most likely scenario is that PS5 pricing news isn't coming until next year.

In 2020, we should learn not only about the PS5 price point, but the PS5 launch titles, new features, and more as we transition to the next generation of gaming consoles.

Source: Wired