Is the market ready for a $500 console yet?

[Mandalore76]

RaptorChrist said:

ptofhearts said:

What I'm trying to say is can't Sony reach a balance between having a powerful enough console for today's standards at a U$399 price tag? Of course more powerful hardware costs more money, but seven years ago a high end console that was the PS4 cost U$399 for consumers, can't a high end console today cost the same? Is it really that advantageous to go as far as to create hardware that will cost U$499?

Until reading through this thread, I had no idea that people would look at $499 as such a high price point. For me, as a consumer, I want to see Sony release the PS5 with super powerful hardware that costs more than what the average consumer would be willing to pay.

Money is relative to the person spending it, and for some people, $499 is steep. Me ten years ago would have had concerns over the price, back during a time when the price of something played a much bigger role in my ability to buy it. Today, however, at the end of the month, once all the bills are paid, my wife and I usually have upwards of $1000 leftover, maybe more.

But those situations are always changing, and maybe ten years from now I'll be broke again, so it all depends on one's situation.

You're not the average person though.  Just recently it was estimated that 4 out 5 US workers live paycheck to paycheck.  So yeah, to the average consumer, in the US anyway, the difference between spending $400 or $500 on a video game system (with no games or extra controller) is indeed a big deal.

The government shutdown spotlights a bigger issue: 78% of US workers live paycheck to paycheck

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/09/shutdown-highlights-that-4-in-5-us-workers-live-paycheck-to-paycheck.html