twintail said:
They will go one. It's easier for both Sony and the consumer. Sony doesn't need the low end cause they have the ps4 |
I'm wondering if Sony will go down the 2 SKU path by simply making the Blu ray drive optional. The rumors of a disc-less version of the next XBOX continue to swirl, and of course the Switch has proven (again) that a physical media drive may not be a deal breaker for consumers anyway.
So, how about a $399 PS5 SKU*without* a Bluray drive and a $449 PS5 SKU with an HD Bluray installed?
And here's where it could get interesting:
Manufacture the PS5 with a plug-in drive bay in the front so the base console hardware performance and features are identical. The only difference is that the $399 SKU will have a plastic bezel covering the drive bay but the $449 SKU will have the HD Bluray drive pre-installed. Sony could then sell the "pluggable" HD Bluray drive as a user-upgradable part for $99. The customer would just remove the bezel and slide the drive into the front of the unit to make it identical to the $449 SKU.
Pros: Sony can cram more RAM, etc. into the disc-less SKU and still bring it in at $399.
They can still offer an HD Bluray "deluxe" SKU for $449 without losing (as much) on each unit sold.
Consumers actually have a choice to buy the cheaper model now and then decide to add an HD Bluray drive later via simple plug-in upgrade.
Sony can make a higher profit on sales of the standalone Blu ray drive upgrade by selling it at $99 (vs. getting it for $50 if you buy the "deluxe" SKU day 1)
Cons: Two different SKU's to package and ship (note that manufacturing cost should be nearly identical because the only difference is one has the drive installed already)
Last edited by ratchet426 - on 03 March 2019
