https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-14/sony-is-struggling-with-playstation-5-price-due-to-costly-parts?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-tech&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_content=tech&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

" Scarce components have pushed the manufacturing costs for Sony Corp.’s next PlayStation to around $450 per unit, forcing a difficult price-setting decision in its battle with Microsoft Corp., according to people with knowledge of the matter.

 Sony typically finalizes a console’s price in February of the release year, followed by mass production in the spring. With the PS5, the company is taking a wait-and-see approach, said the people, asking not to be named because the details are private.

The PS4, released in 2013 at a retail price of $399, was estimated by IHS Markit to cost $381 to manufacture. With the $450 unit cost and a similar gross margin, the PlayStation 5’s retail price would have to be at least $470. That would be a hard sell to consumers, considering Sony’s most expensive machine now is the $399.99 PS4 Pro and is often discounted, according to Macquarie Capital analyst Damian Thong.

“Consumers will benchmark their expectations based on the PS4 Pro and PS4,” Thong said. “If Sony prices above that, it would likely be to balance a need to offset higher materials cost, against risk to demand.”

The company’s biggest headache is ensuring a reliable supply of DRAM and NAND flash memory, with both in high demand as smartphone makers gear up for fifth-generation devices, according to people familiar with Sony’s operations.

Videogame companies often sell hardware at thin margins or even at a loss because they profit from lucrative game software and recurring online subscription services. Sony’s Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida has said the business should be judged by the number of active users, not the number of hardware units sold. Some Sony games staff think it should sell the new console at a loss if necessary to match Microsoft’s price, while other Sony executives would prefer to make money as the company did with the PS4.

“We must keep PlayStation 5’s bill of materials under our control and we need to make the correct number of units in the initial production,” Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki said at an earnings briefing earlier this month.

Most of the components for the console have been locked down, the people said, including the cooling system, which is unusually expensive at a few dollars per unit. Typically, companies would spend less than a dollar, but Sony opted to lavish more on making sure heat dissipation from the powerful chips housed inside the console isn’t an issue.

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has had no impact so far on preparations for PlayStation 5 production, they said. The company has yet to decided how many PlayStation 5 units it will make in the first year, they added.

Separately, Sony plans to release a new version of the PlayStation VR virtual-reality headset, tentatively scheduled after the PlayStation 5 goes on sale, the people said.

Sony has already canceled some previously planned features for a new mirrorless camera due this year owing to the constrained DRAM supply, several people with knowledge of the matter said.

Sony executives are voicing patience about the next console’s pricing as they anticipate the transition to be a gradual one, said people familiar with its day-to-day operations. Many of the games launched for the PlayStation 5 will also be available to play on the predecessor machine, so revenue from software and related network services is expected to keep the business performance intact. Microsoft and Sony are both expanding their respective online subscription services, revenue from which may allow them greater flexibility on hardware pricing.

People within the PlayStation business unit said a key factor in deciding the ultimate PlayStation 5 retail price will be where Microsoft sets its price for the next-generation Xbox Series X. Microsoft is widely expected to hold that information back until the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles in June. "

Asked about when he expects Sony to provide guidance on the gaming business outlook for the new fiscal year, Totoki said the plan is no different from the recent past, meaning the guidance can be expected around the end of April."

EDIT:  tweet from Zhuge about Xbox Series X cost and other possibility on pricing method for both consoles.

Edit 2: 450 USD are just BOM cost not include shipping cost, packaging cost, and retail cost . So 450 USd is just the very beginning of the cost before adding with final price.

I agree , everyone should expect this .

So we should expect more news on April , bummer i hope we will get PS Meeting earlier then that.

Microsoft has better chance by giving a free game pass, we can expect Sony provide the same service with PS now or at least PS plus like they always does with PS4.

Not really sure what "canceled some previously planned features for a new mirrorless camera due this year owing to the constrained DRAM supply" means. Like they are keeping this camera but lowering amount of RAM which forces to drop certain software functionality with camera... or dropping camera, period? If they are expecting to leverage the camera for VR at all, that functionality can't really be touched, but who knows if this is for PiP HD videochat or something...?

Don't know specifics of Zhuge tweet, but to me ~$450+ is basically same as $460+ and IMHO that undermines idea XSX full version will noticeably outperform PS5. I guess if PS5's BoM includes camera that XSX doesn't, that could give XSX more room, but I'm not expecting much performance D contra to apparent common assumption. Either way, it seems they are targetting basically the same price, otherwise if they expect to come in $100 below it seems like it wouldn't be worth worrying about +/-$15.

The camera bloomberg mentioned are not part of Playstation , Sony has Camera division that produce camera . So we expect the same BOM and tech spec from PS5 and Xbox series X . 

Another tweet about the possibility of pricing methods for both PS5 and Xbox X

OK, that makes sense, I was wondering why they would need "mirrored" camera, not to mention mirror-less,
but Photography division (which also buys DRAM/NAND) makes sense, just weird amidst bunch of console info.
To me, if they are this close in BoM, it doesn't really make sense to cheap out, whether it be less RAM or whatever.
Might as well go for the "full" spec they are considering, and even swallow the minor upfront loss which isn't huge.
Of course, in non-competitive markets like Japan, or really much of the EU, they can charge the real price for it.

They should have good volume negotiating position, maybe have deal so if market price drops, so does their volume price?
Or at least try that as negotiating position, and try to get discount price in exchange for accepting fixed contract price.
Lots of sentiment about coming recession/worse, now with virus in China and looks like spreading independently in Japan,
RAM companies have to worry the market could drop out, and a solid contract with Sony would be nice "insurance" to have.

Sticking to my plan to not get one until 2 years in. Hardware kinks usually worked out. Games start to roll in. Deal start to happen.

This is Sony, you think they are getting them at cost? Of course not. Their own already existing deals, relationships and all that, I would expect more that manufacturers are going out of their way to get their componants in the PS5 and in bulk too.

$450, fine, I expect it to be $500 anyway. I'm expecting £400-£450 here in the UK.