Dissecting PlayStation 4 Price Rumors
Don't despair, console gamers, it's believed Sony will release a PlayStation 4 (PS4) by the end of the year. Most of the details are unknown at this time, and we really hope Sony doesn't ditch the traditional controller in favor of a touchscreen-based input device akin to the Wii U, as had been rumored, but we'll just have to wait and see.
We'll also have to wait and see how Sony prices the PS4. Japanese newspaper Asahi backed speculation that the PS4 is headed for a 2013 release, saying that it will cost more than 40,000 yen, according to Gematsu.com, which compiled some figures to put that price point into perspective. What did they find?
Well, the least expensive PS3 model, the 20GB SKU, launched at $500 in North America and 49,980 yen in Japan, which converts to $535. If you convert 40,000 yen to USD, you come up with $428. Assuming that the PS4 will again launch a little cheaper in the U.S., you're probably looking at a price tag of at least $400.