When the PlayStation 3 launched, it did so at a ridiculous cost; $600 in the US, £425 in the UK and R6,599.95 here in South Africa. that is a lot of money for a console – made all the worse by then-PlayStation boss Ken Kutaragi saying that people should work two jobs to buy one. Sony, it seems, has learned from its mistake – and will be launching the PlayStation 4 at a much more affordable price-point.
According to a report by the Times citing industry sources and “leaked internal documents,” the PlayStation 4 – expected to be announced this week – will launch in the UK at a much nicer price of £300. That means we could quite reasonably expect to see the PS4 to retail locally for around R4599 at launch.
On top of that, its widely expected that we’ll see the PlayStation 3 receive a considerable price cut, approaching mass-market pricing of $199, which would have the console selling locally at around the
R2 000 mark.
As for what your money will buy you? A nicely specced console, capable of producing “high end” graphics, that’s much easier to program for; a newly redesigned controller with a touch-pad and speaker and a twin-camera set-up for expanded motion control capabilities, Gaikai-based game streaming – and quite possibly The Last Guardian.
If the rumours are true – and I hope they are, it means that my “next-gen console fund” might even have enough in it for a game or two.
Last Updated: February 19, 2013
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 09:56
R4500 would be a bonus, but I’d pay up to R6000 for my precious. Playstation for life!
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 09:57
Local distributors… that doesn’t mean you need to mark the price up. If you’re up to your old tricks again, the Banana will just import his console. You have been warned.
Sir Captain Rincethis
February 19, 2013 at 10:02
MEGADOM! Noooooo!
Sean Carbutt
February 19, 2013 at 11:50
Told you guys about this almost 5 months ago. It will sell for less than 5k. You are probably looking at between 4.2 to 4.5 k. Also expect massive opening specials like games and controller packages.
Prolific
February 19, 2013 at 13:01
Second that! Bought a 60GB monolith the day after it was released for R3700 – in the UAE. Ster Kinekor wanted almost double that…
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 13:25
Dubai ftw! I got a cool ibook in Doha a few years back for a fraction of the cost (also got swine flu in transit), but hey… all’s good. UAE ftw!
matthurstrsa
February 19, 2013 at 13:37
iBook with free swine flu. WHAT A DEAL!
McDangerousZa
February 19, 2013 at 10:00
Pity my PS3’s resale value is going to drop by quite a bit when this is announced. I’d pawn it off now and try and get as much for it as possible, but I’ve still got Uncharted 2 and 3, Infamous 1 and 2 AND Sleeping Dogs waiting in the woodwork for me with PS+.
DAMN YOU GOOD VALUE GAMING!!
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:01
Real gamers have consoles from 1984. Real gamers for life!
McDangerousZa
February 19, 2013 at 10:04
Real Gamers are that are getting married and buying a house need to sell old consoles to afford new ones. Poor Man gaming for life! m/
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:05
Growing up sucks! 🙁 Real gamers need hug now!
McDangerousZa
February 19, 2013 at 10:07
Trade hug for a beer and we’re on the same page
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:09
Beer + Hugs?
McDangerousZa
February 19, 2013 at 10:11
Beer + Hugs + Cake! Then we shall have a Gentleman’s Agreement, HAZAAA!!
Anon A Mouse
February 19, 2013 at 10:11
Real gamers have their priorities straight. Games>House>Wife….
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:13
One can game while living in one’s car… Just saying!
Games > Wife > House 😛
Anon A Mouse
February 19, 2013 at 10:19
One can have your sammiches delivered. Besides a house will drain less funds than a wife. Games>House>Deliveries(?)
Mikhil
February 19, 2013 at 12:46
IF you put them in that order, realistically it’ll be games, house, hand…
FoxOneZA
February 19, 2013 at 10:26
Real gamers hold onto their Golden China’s !!!
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:28
Golden China for life!
Mikhil
February 19, 2013 at 12:47
Real Gamers sneakily got hands on a NES, pah Golden China.
CodeScarwls
February 19, 2013 at 11:19
You’re not a true gamer!! 🙂
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 12:04
Hahahaha that is awesome!!!
Uberutang
February 19, 2013 at 10:02
That would be a great move by Sony, if true.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
February 19, 2013 at 10:14
Ooooooh. Perhaps I could buy a PS3 then
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 10:17
You don’t have a PS3? 😮 DUUUUUUUDDDEE!!!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
February 19, 2013 at 10:25
PC forever!
FoxOneZA
February 19, 2013 at 10:27
Ermmm…I wouldn’t recommend that if you’re moving over from PC.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
February 19, 2013 at 10:28
Not moving away from PC. Are you crazy!? 😛
No it’s so the wife and I can play things together. Recently found out she enjoys fighting games. Who’d have thunk it huh?
Hondsepop
February 19, 2013 at 10:15
This all sounds good…..if the price of the games stays in check. Don’t want a razor effect, where the razor is almost for free, but the blades are expensive.
Darth_Clericus_The_Ultimate
February 19, 2013 at 10:19
Good, was thinking it was going to cost more than the PS3.
Still, PC prices win hands down in the expense department. What like R13000 for a good rig?
Uberutang
February 19, 2013 at 10:25
6k for a pretty decent gaming PC.
CodeScarwls
February 19, 2013 at 12:12
Yeah. 6k will give you a decent rig. Which will allow you play everything on Very High.
13k will give you a monster 🙂
Darth_Clericus_The_Ultimate
February 19, 2013 at 13:01
Yeah but how long will the monster last for? 2 years?
CodeScarwls
February 19, 2013 at 13:23
To be honest, I bough a monster, just a bit more than two years ago. Cost me 12k.
I still run the latest games on max settings.
Still no indication of slowing down.
And I don’t see any games coming out any time soon, where I can not run max graphics.
Also, when the time comes where games do become insane.
I can still set the graphics to High, Medium, Low. Before I have to look at a new PC, or maybe just a new graphics card.
Admiral Chief Erwin
February 19, 2013 at 10:27
R4.6k?
CPU, MOBO and RAM for me
Brady miaau
February 19, 2013 at 10:38
With Blue-ray and all the goodies?
Good buy, but I do not believe R4599 is realistic by an stretch. I believe R6000 to be starting point
OVG
February 19, 2013 at 10:50
I would rather buy 7 games for the PS3 than even dream of all the bullshit that is lined up for the PS3.5
Tired old gamer and the 7th gen sure did screw us around.
Dragons Skate
February 19, 2013 at 11:01
I bet there’ll be 2 launch versions. 1 with a small HD (which won’t make it to SA) and a bigger version which we’ll have to fork out over R6000 for. Watch!
OVG
February 19, 2013 at 11:09
XBOX for life. But they know where they can stick their mandatory Kinect 2.
FoxOneZA
February 19, 2013 at 11:52
*Xbrofist
Prolific
February 19, 2013 at 12:56
The same place you’d have them stick their always-online requirements? 🙂
OVG
February 19, 2013 at 12:58
UP MY BUM…Sideways, because the Kinect will hurt a little :p
Banana Jim
February 19, 2013 at 13:26
hehehe!
FoxOneZA
February 19, 2013 at 11:52
Damn! Vanquish is free to PSN+ members. Freeee 🙁
Tetsuo
February 19, 2013 at 14:25
Vanquish and Sleeping Dogs and Mortal Kombat and Infamous 2 and and and!!
Theo Steenekamp
February 19, 2013 at 11:53
I got drunk one night….forgot my PS3 somewhere…at a lan party or something. It was a sad day… Still have my games, staring at me at night..crying..asking where their big bro is. I don’t know…I just don’t know… This had nothing to do with the article, just wanted to let you know I wont be drinking and gaming any more. Maybe with R2000 I can bring back the happiness to my rack of games.
Theo Steenekamp
February 19, 2013 at 11:53
I got drunk one night….forgot my PS3 somewhere…at a lan party or something. It was a sad day… Still have my games, staring at me at night..crying..asking where their big bro is. I don’t know…I just don’t know… This had nothing to do with the article, just wanted to let you know I wont be drinking and gaming any more. Maybe with R2000 I can bring back the happiness to my rack of games.
CodeScarwls
February 19, 2013 at 12:09
I feel for you
manowaffles
February 20, 2013 at 22:08
Only 3 scenarios exist.
#1. PS4 is expensive as PS3, but uber-powerful (just shy of a good gaming rig today.)
#2. PS4 is cheaper than PS3 or PS2, but weak and at best is on par with Wii U.
#3 Scenario #1, but sold at a very small upfront cost, but requiring a contract which has gamers paying a monthly fee which when added up is actually higher than the original price in scenario #1.
Or possibly both #1 and #3 at the same time, but then it’s just that much more apparent how much of a rip-off it is to pay 150% more for the console over two years rather than all at once. Or in more concrete terms, the cost of 2-3 new games.
Moral of the story, don’t sign the contract till you read the fine print.