How Much Will PS5 Games Cost?

The next-gen consoles have already made it in stores across the globe. In the US, the release date was set for late November 2020, just in time before Christmas. The release date of Sony’s new console was suspiciously close to that of the stimulus package. That’s no surprise as Sony has been well known for its ingenious marketing techniques for almost two decades. 

However, their recent announcement to increase the price of PS5 games by almost 20% wasn’t well accepted, to say the least. Here’s what we’ve learned so far. 

How Sony Sees the Bump in Price for PS5 Games

For most folks, the price bump of an extra 10$ for a PlayStation 5 game may not be too big of a deal. However, for gamers, it is a colossal change and a huge deal indeed. The way Sony’s CEO sees it, the price is justified for more than one reason. 

As the next-gen games are becoming more demanding, the price of production has to rise over time. When interviewed by Bloomberg, Sony reminded that new games are longer than older titles, and that alone can spike the production cost. Furthermore, they are way flashier, being that they are released for the next-gen consoles. 

According to Sony, the production cost of an average game has tripled. Next to that, the price of $60 per game didn’t change for a very long time. Therefore, a $10 increase after almost a decade doesn’t seem like a big deal to Sony. They expected the price hike to be even more significant, so $70 per game is more than justified.

How it Actually Is

The production cost, as well as game development cost, may have tripled. Games nowadays look impressive and flashy with lengthy, intricate stories and multiplayer experiences that get constant updates. However, there is one thing that doesn’t go too well with the price-bump justification. That is, of course, digital distribution. 

Although some gamers love the idea of making a collection of all the titles they’ve played, that percentage is very low. With digitalization gaining momentum, the digital distribution of video games has become a widespread thing. Why go to the store to buy a game when you can get it from your home instantly, right?

Although getting a physical copy of a game may prove to be an excellent gift for your loved one, it’s somewhat of a dying habit. In other words, no one buys discs anymore. So, when Sony says that the production cost has tripled, that statement becomes very hard to believe, knowing how digitalization has affected the gaming industry. Sony even released a code that doesn’t have an optical drive.

Will The Price Go Up?

Like any change imposed by the government or any institution that has the right to make changes that will affect the public, people (or gamers in this case) will not allow further escalation in the next-gen console games’ price. 

In the end, the consumers can affect the market to no small extent. Just like vegetarians theorize that not buying the meat will eventually affect the meat industry and food production, the same rule can apply to the gaming industry and gamers.

What the Future Holds 

No one knows how the current state of the world will affect the future of the economy and the gaming industry. One thing is for certain – video games will always be a getaway. As for the direction in which the gaming industry is heading, it’s fair to say that virtual reality will be a common entertainment source in the future, pricy or not.