Sony is giving the PS4 Pro a price drop in Japan, and this could be good news for potential buyers in other parts of the world as well. Though the Japanese company has not hinted at a PS4 Pro price drop for other markets, many believe it will announce a price cut soon.
PS4 Pro price drop for the U.S. not yet confirmed
Sony recently announced that the PS4 Pro price drop for Japan will go into effect starting Oct. 12. The console well sell for ¥39,980 (or $349) after the PS4 Pro price drop, compared to its current price tag of ¥44,980 (or $399).
Sony also announced that the white PS4 Pro will no longer be a limited edition model and will be available alongside the standard black PS4 Pro. In the U.S., the glacier white PS4 Pro is exclusive to GameStop, so if this same change comes to the U.S., more retailers may start selling the white PS4 Pro.
The PS4 Pro Price drop also means the Kingdom Hearts III bundle will now sell for ¥48,780 (or $428), while those buying Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with the PS4 Pro will only have to pay ¥42,280 (or $371), which means a savings of ¥5,000 ($44).
Going by past trends, it is believed Sony will soon announce a PS4 Pro price drop for other markets. The console is also approaching its second birthday, so it makes sense for the Japanese company to lower the price. However, Sony has been quiet on the matter.
“Just called SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] about PlayStation 4 Pro price cut and asked what’s happening outside Japan, including US, and Europe. It says ‘nothing we can comment now.’ Keep fingers crossed!” tweeted Takashi Mochizuki of The Wall Street Journal.
Many also believe Sony might not announce a PS4 Pro price drop for the U.S. considering the brisk sales in the region. If the U.S. gets no price cut by next week, then we can expect one in time for Black Friday and certainly for the holiday season.
Suspense over the PS5 release date
Sony has recently been focusing more on the PS4 Pro as more and more games are advertised in 4K. Many popular upcoming games will also get bundled with the PS4 Pro, like Red Dead Redemption 2.
Sony launched the PS4 Pro at the end of 2016, while the original PS4 was released in 2013. There are reports the company is getting ready to release the PlayStation 5 sometime next year, so it makes sense to move out the PS4 and PS4 Pro inventories by offering discounts.
Rumors and speculations have been suggesting the PS5 release could come in 2019 or 2020. However, a recent development points to the earliest end of that window. Sony recently announced that it will not be hosting the PlayStation Experience in California this year as it doesn’t have enough content to show.
“Now that we have Spider-Man out the door, we’re looking down in 2019 to games like Dreams and Days Gone, but we wouldn’t have enough to bring people all together in some location in North America to have that event,” Sony chairman Shawn Layden said on the PlayStation Blogcast.
This has sparked speculations that Sony is now focusing on the PS5 release date.
PlayStation is one of the best brands ever
The PlayStation brand has been around for about 24 years. During this period, Sony has sold more than 500 million consoles globally. The Japanese company announced this milestone only a couple of months ago, and to celebrate the occasion, the company launched a limited edition translucent blue PlayStation 4 Pro and matching accessories.
“Today, I’m thrilled to reveal that Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially sold more than 525.3 Million PlayStation systems worldwide,” PlayStation Marketing Senior VP Eric Lempel said in a blog post.
Sony’s limited edition console came with a translucent blue shell and a variety of extras, such as the PlayStation Camera, a vertical stand for the console, a mono headset, and a matching DualShock 4 controller. The console also featured a 2TB hard drive. Moreover, the limited edition console featured copper plating on the front carrying a serial number. According to the company, some of the serial numbers are unique, like 09995, which is the U.S. launch date of the original PlayStation.
