PS4 launch won't cut PS3 price, Sony says
The price of the PlayStation 3 won't drop when the Sony PS4 lands, with the existing console likely to hang around for years yet.
The price of the PlayStation 3 won't drop when the Sony PS4 lands, with the existing console likely to hang around for years yet.
"There's no plans as yet," Sony's British boss told GamesIndustry.biz when asked about a possible PS3 price cut following the launch of the next-generation PlayStation 4 later this year.
When a new incarnation of a console, phone or any gadget comes out, it's reasonable to expect the price of the older model to drop. But Sony's having none of that, claiming it "hasn't been particularly easy to get the costs (of the PS3) down".
Sony says the length of the PS3's remaining life will differ in different countries, but it's likely to be an "entry-level" option "for years to come".
Microsoft also appears to be planning to keep its current console alive alongside its next-generation machine: responding to criticism that the new Xbox One requires an Internet connection, one Microsoft boss cheekily suggested the console for people with no Internet is the Xbox 360.
The PS4 is roundly agreed to be a better proposition than the Xbox One. There's been controversy over sharing and selling of your games on the Xbox, something the PS4 allows -- in theory, anyway. The PS4 also has a much better price.
Sony also says the PS4 is expected to give the handheld PlayStation Vita a shot in the arm, but you'll be able to control it with your phone too, as revealed by a new video published earlier today.
For more gaming goodness, check out our button-bashing buddies at GameSpot. And check out the amazing evolution of the PlayStation in our fast-paced video:
Should the price of the PS3 drop? Is the PS4 a worthy successor to the PlayStation name? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook wall.