With only a few more months before the holiday shopping season rolls in, the pressure on Microsoft and Sony to finally reveal everything about their next-generation push is surely at an all-time high. Even though the former seemed to have the upper hand earlier this year, the surprise unveiling of the PS5 last month shifted the balance slightly towards the Japanese gaming company. However, what remains an issue for consumers is the lack of communication regarding pricing, availability, and software upon launch.

So far, industry analysts have been hinting that Sony is deliberately delaying the announcement of how much its new hardware and optional add-ons will cost. Sources claim that its executives are still debating whether to sell the PlayStation 5 at a loss or to just break even. On paper, the Xbox Series X is already shaping up to be the more powerful console, but when it comes to platform exclusives, it failed to show anything remarkable this current generation.

With insiders suggesting that the PS5 will be the more expensive game system this time around, even longtime fans of the PlayStation brand are purportedly worried. The last time Sony made what gaming industry pundits would call a mistake was with the PS3 upon launch. On the other hand, a report from NotebookCheck implies that a Nielsen survey might have just leaked the information.

According to a Reddit user named u/youessbee the statement read: "As mentioned in the product description, the pricing of this new product (PlayStation 5) has not yet been determined. For the purposes of this survey, we will assign you random pricing. Please take this random pricing into consideration at the following questions. The random prices for this new product (PlayStation 5) that you will evaluate are PlayStation 5: £349; PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: £259."

Sony unveils the PS5 and its accessories
It appears the contour of the stand should be able to interchangeably hold the console on its side or on its bottom. Photo: Sony

While many would probably take this with a pinch of salt, some would find the price favourable than what was previously indicated. As for availability, Sony supposedly confirmed that its manufacturing facilities in Japan can now complete the assembly of one unit in 30 seconds. Meanwhile, Xbox boss Phil Spencer previously stated in an interview that the Xbox Series X will be priced lower than the PS5. Hence, it remains to be seen for how low both manufacturers are willing to sell their respective consoles.

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