This Could Be Sony's Strategy Behind Affordable PlayStation 5 Pricing

Sony’s PlayStation 5 is equipped with a much faster custom processor and a new solid-state drive (SSD), which, in theory, could mean that it will be significantly pricier than the PlayStation 4. However, the company’s top executives have already confirmed that the PS5 will be retailed at a far affordable price than earlier anticipated not only to penetrate the market but also to facilitate a faster transition from PS4 to PS5. Several reports are recently claiming that this newly discovered hardware could be the secret behind Sony’s PS5 pricing strategy.

A few days ago, we reported a Sony-related discovery suggesting that the Japanese gaming console maker might be working on a cartridge. Several sources believe that this mysterious device is related to the PlayStation 5 and could be Sony’s clever secret for maintaining the PS5’s price down. Conceived 3D renders of the rumored PlayStation 5 SSD storage cartridges have also surfaced online, suggesting that Sony’s next-generation gaming console might work alongside expandable SSD storage units.

Conceived 3D renders of PS5 SSD storage cartridges have surfaced online, which suggests that Sony’s next-gen console might work with expandable SSD storage units. These renders were based on the patent filed by Sony first reported by the Dutch site LetsGoDigital, the same site that discovered the PS5 Dev Kit a few months ago. But, it was earlier confirmed by Sony that the PlayStation 5 will not be using cartridges but will have a Blu-Ray drive.

Interestingly, LetsGoDigital thinks that the use of expandable SSD memory cartridges is more logical since it enables Sony to cut the base price of the PlayStation 5 by offering various storage modules to gamers. While SSDs are expensive, placing a certain amount of default storage on the PlayStation 5, say 1TB or 500GB, Sony is allowing players to have a decent amount of memory at their disposal without costing too much. BGR’s Chris Smith thinks that SSD cartridges could be an excellent strategy for players to swap old SSD with a higher capacity model.

By allowing the storage of PlayStation 5 modular, Sony is assured of smooth storage upgrades without the need for complicated teardown, the writer adds. Also, by controlling the upgrades of the SSD through expandable cartridges, the Japanese gaming console maker could make the PS5 more profitable. But, these are mere speculations, and we suggest taking this information with a considerable amount of salt.