A GAMING retailer has claimed that Sony's PlayStation 5 could cost as much as £500.
The PlayStation 4 currently costs around £250 – so it would mark a £250 price hike for dedicated gamers.
Earlier this month, Sony finally confirmed that the PlayStation 5 would be coming before Christmas 2020.
Now gamers are panicking as a fresh leak about the console seemingly predicts a huge price hike.
A Slovakian video games retailer called Pro Gaming Shop has listed the console for $500 / €500 – around £385, but more likely £500.
Even if it did turn out to be £385 in the UK, that would still be higher than both the PS4 and PS4 Pro.
It wouldn't be a complete shock move, however.
The PS3 launched at $600 when it first launched, although this price did come down eventually.
And although the PS4 costs £250 now, it cost £350 when it first launched.
However, it's not worth panicking just yet, as this price might not be accurate.
The PS5 is still a year away, and Sony probably hasn't settled on official pricing – never mind doled it out to retailers.
This retailer may just want to prepare a landing page for the PS5, and simply inputted a fake price for the time being.
Importantly, the retailer is also using concept renders mocked up by a gadget blog, so it hasn't seen the real PS5 yet either.
It's entirely possible that the PS5 could cost £500, but Sony hasn't confirmed this yet.
An earlier leak suggested that the PS5 would cost closer to £450.
This retailer isn't the first to list the PS5 either – a Dutch online store did the same earlier this month.
Sony's PS5 was originally unveiled in April, but didn't have a name or a release date.
All we learned at the time were details about its performance, loading times and impressive hardware.
But this week we learned that the PS5 – the successor to 2013's PS4 – will be here in time for next Christmas.
The console will be a direct competitor to Microsoft's Xbox 2, currently only known as Project Scarlett.
PlayStation releases – what's the history
Here's what you need to know...
- The original PlayStation launched in Europe in 1995
- This was followed by the PlayStation 2 in the year 2000
- The PlayStation 3 arrived over half a decade later, in 2006
- Then gamers had to wait a further seven years for 2013's PS4 launch
- Based on those dates, there's an average of six years between each new PlayStation generation
- But 2016's PlayStation 4 Pro threw a spanner in the works
- The mid-generation console offered gamers a graphical upgrade – without releasing a brand new console generation
- Sony has announced a PS5 release for 2020, four years after the PS4 Pro and six years after the PS4
In a surprise blog post, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said: "Since we originally unveiled our next-generation console in April, we know that there’s been a lot of excitement and interest in hearing more about what the future of games will bring.
"Today I’m proud to share that our next-generation console will be called PlayStation 5, and we’ll be launching in time for Holiday 2020."
That's not a specific date, but it's effectively a promise that you'll be able to buy it in the run-up to Christmas 2020.
In reality, that probably means the new console going on sale in October or November.
That's a great time for a new console to come out, as those months are when blockbuster releases like new Call of Duty games typically happen.
So what's the likeliest date? Well the PS4 launched on November 15, 2013 – a Friday.
And the PS4 Pro launched on November 10, 2016 – a Thursday.
Based on those launches, we predict either a November 12 or 13 PS5 release date in 2020.
However, Sony hasn't revealed an official release date or price, so take all leaks and predictions with due caution.
MOST READ IN GAMING
In other news, Sony has confirmed that PS Now will be coming to the PS5.
We recently revealed the best PS5 games you can expect to play next year.
And find out why both of these consoles could be the last you ever own.
How much would you be willing to pay for a PS5? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]