We’re almost to the next generation of consoles. As it stands, even with the current coronavirus pandemic, both Sony and Microsoft are still hanging on to that 2020 launch, especially Microsoft. We’ve heard a lot of spec talk, seen a few games that will be there, but the one thing that will be determining its worth for the average person remains a mystery for both: price. Some have taken rough guesses based on what tech is in both the Xbox Series X and PS5, expecting the systems will have a starting point at $500 minimum, with some even speculating that we could be looking at $600 machines. While that remains a mystery, the head of Xbox did give an interesting answer when pressed on that price tag.
Phil Spencer was interviewed on an episode of the IGN Unlocked podcast, speaking at length about the Xbox Series X. When asked about the price, he obviously didn’t give a solid answer, but seemed to think Microsoft was pretty happy with the price point they were looking at, and even seemed to imply it was still fluid even as they are getting close to launch.
“I feel good about the price that we’re going to be able to get to. I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have with Series X. We’re getting incredible support from Microsoft. Satya Nadella, the CEO, my boss, Amy Hood, the CFO, they’re very linked in to what our plans are,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that we stay agile on our pricing and that we have a good plan going into launch.”
While it could all just be PR speak, the last bit is interesting. Could it be that maybe the final price hasn’t been decided just yet? Microsoft have been much more open about their next system than Sony, whose upcoming PS5 we haven’t even seen yet. It’s hard to say, though it’s likely both companies know their price points at this stage. We’ll just have to wait for the sticker shock.