Sony's dropping the price of its flagship PlayStation 4 Slim bundles starting 12th February – and you can be sure that the imminent arrival of the Nintendo Switch has absolutely nothing to do with it, no siree. Available in North America through 25th February, you'll be able to get a console alongside either Uncharted 4: A Thief's End or Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for just $249.99. This offer also extends to the Glacier White console bundle – which again comes with Call of Duty – and is available exclusively from Walmart.
All of the consoles come with an updated DualShock 4 controller and 500GB hard drive, so while you could argue they're not directly competing, they're going to look pretty darn competitive on store shelves next to Nintendo's new piece of kit.
To be honest, this temporary price drop is probably foreshadowing a permanent MSRP decrease, which we reckon will hit long before the holidays. Then expect the console to go as low as $199.99 on Black Friday, which should help the PS4 on its way to its best ever year. It'd take a disaster for this foolproof plan to go wrong, wouldn't it?
[source blog.us.playstation.com]
Comments 49
I think it is trying to compete again the switch also get people's tax money (refunds).
@tonyp1987 Yep, good shout!
That's it, keep dropping. Bring similar drops to the UK then when the time is right I'll buy you....
Still buying a Switch at launch though.
There just isn't enough available at launch to make switch compelling, especially if you already have a wiiu. They really screwed the pooch by: launching in March, not bundling a game, making a tech demo full price, making the first 3 major games ports of wiiu games, and just not releasing enough info leading up to launch.
I don't see this PS4 price drop causing them to fly off the shelves, but honestly, anyone who is debating between a switch or a PS4 right now will have their choice made a lot easier now.
That is some super-aggressive pricing. I'm curious how sales of this will stack up against the PS2 by the time the PS4's life cycle finishes...
I could see this being the best-selling home console of all time.
@Ralizah I think it would need more from Japan to overtake the PS2, and I'm also not sure they're going to capture the casuals at the end of the lifecycle quite like they did with the PS2.
It should pass 100 million comfortably, though.
@get2sammyb Hmm, good point. And I don't think the Switch will really impact PS4 sales in the West, but I could see it being pretty muscular competition in Japan. ESPECIALLY if it gets Pokemon, Monster Hunter, etc.
But it doesn't go up to the launch? That ones a little weird. Wait...it goes up to a few days when Horizon lands....
@get2sammyb I'm actually thinking due to them not going over the March 3rd launch and stopping directly next to it, they are getting the system out ready to push Horizon to new buyers, because it has become abundantly clear Sony wants that game to be big.
Besides, being afraid of Switch is like a fear of a fly at the other end of a 400m corridor. It's as much a threat as a kick in the teeth from a midget.
I've bought every Nintendo console since the NES and have had my pre-order for the Switch in since Day One, however I'm seriously thinking whether or not to keep my pre-order, the main reason I did not touch my Wii U is because of the lack of an achievement/trophy system, I had good games for the Wii U but would always go to my Playstation or Xbox instead as there was just more incentive.
It looks very much like the Switch will not have an achievement system either so could be a deal breaker for me personally, just think Nintendo need to get with the times IMO, even more so as they will be charging for an online service later this year.
@CliffordB To be fair, they haven't really revealed much about that portion of the system at all. It could well be there and they just haven't announced it.
@get2sammyb @CliffordB
Forgive my theorising but...My Nintendo is a thing, which was announced to be made for Switch/Mobile/Service rewards as part of the new Nintendo Account unifying everything going forward for the Switch so...
Since you get coins you can spend on discounts/in-game rewards/cosmetics/free stuff for your home themes via missions such as clear Chapter 2 in FE: Heroes (See: Achievements) in mobile titles, and even so much as logging in weekly...why wouldn't that be part of Switch since they said Nintendo Account and MyNintendo was being made for mobile/Switch?
Just my theorising, it may not be the case but it is the most likely. And hey, @CliffordB, if buying a system at all depends on achievements, well I cant imagine your face if my theory is true and you actually get stuff for them.
But again, speculation and conjecture based on what has been said in the past and how the system is currently demonstrated as working with mobile and services.
With Horizon and Mass Effect right around the corner, I'm not even thinking about Nintendo.
I can wait on Zelda.
@get2sammyb Hmmm, it's possible I suppose, but seems a strange thing to hold back, I won't hold my breath but would love it if your right on this.
I know an achievement system can be a bit of a love or hate type thing, but I'm all for it 100% it really is important to me, I've always thought Zelda & Mario games etc. would be ideal for fun achievement lists.
@BLP_Software Like I said I had some really good games on the Wii U, and if I only owned a Wii U no doubt I would have had a great time with the console, but just never got round to playing most of my Wii U games, I'd always rather be playing on my other consoles and unlocking achievements/trophies along the way, as I said "to me" it was just an added incentive, Wii U games felt empty without them.
@CliffordB I agree with you that Trophies/Achievements are really cool.
@CliffordB Well as I said, based on what we know, it looks likely MyNintendo will give achievements and rewards for completing them.
@BLP_Software Time will tell mate, if it's done properly and not just some half a**ed achievement system then I'll be delighted.
It's going to take a lot to pull me away from my PS4 right now anyway, I have loads of games I need to get through, RE7, Nioh, Yakuza 0 etc. then soon the likes of Mass Effect & Horizon: Zero Dawn, it really is never ending in a good way of course.
@CliffordB
If you see at least 6 must have games for the system that you can't get anywhere else then I suggest holding onto that pre-order. I think I'm going to wait until 2018 to see how its doing before deciding to get one.
@CliffordB Well I don't expect Switch to do well enough to warrant a purchase anyhow. I'm looking at PS4 for my game currently, based on early Switch sales.
Nice price but I already have a PS4. Getting Switch at launch for Zelda SE and then Arms and Splatoon 2. And Mario by the end of the year.
The Switch will not have trophies i can guarantee that, i don't see much point in getting the Switch day one especially if you own a Wii U. I am holding off the Switch until the end of the year, and there it be a lot more like me especially after the Wii U.
Sony doing an amazing with the PS4.
PS4 Slim: $249.99 complete with Uncharted 4 and Internet browser! 😏
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi I'm going to start referring to it as a Neo again, it's way cooler.
A white PS4 for only $250? Sign me up.
@CliffordB Whilst I can understand the added bonus of an achievment system, denying yourself fun games merely because you are not getting some "arbitrarary reward" sounds self-defeating and somewhat incomprehensible, at least to me. I have a friend obsessed with trophies and she ends up playing even the worst games, sometimes at incessent frequency before servers close and will then get frustrated and complain to me when trying to get a really aggravating or frustrating trophy. I sometimes have difficulty sympathising as its almost like she has forgotten one of the primary aims of gaming; having fun.
@toon_lonk1 From what I've seen, the Switch version of Breath of the Wild seems likely to be the superior variant, plus the portability is a huge boon during my long distance train journeys I regularly have to take. That and I just love buying Nintendo's hardware on launch; they tend to be the only consoles that truly excite me and give me truly amazing experiences (sans the PS2; that was an awesome console).
@get2sammyb No mention of a Pro price drop or it not getting a price cut? You saving that for an editorial later in the day "Why is Sony promoting the inferior Slim so much while the Pro remains invisible?"
If Slim hits $249 MSRP this summer, then $199 this holiday, they'll never sell the Pro until holiday 2018 when they just drop the Slim entirely and Pro hits $199, I can't imagine a $99 Slim, that would be crazy.
It doesn't feel like the next great thing is about to release. ME andromeda, Persona 5 and GT Sport are gonna spank switch into last year.
@rjejr
I'm guessing because the Pro is in short supply in tons of places. No need to put it on sale when there are already shortages of stock.
I think it would be hilarious if Nintendo included a "trophy system" where you get a trophy every time you turn on the system. Every time you load a game, every time you complete a level or lose a life, every time you...
...wait, no I don't. That's what the participation trophy generation wants! The trophy system is ridiculous. It's creating false replay value as much as DLC is creating a way to make people pay more for the same game. It's amazing to me how dumb we are as gamers these days.
@FX102A said: "That and I just love buying Nintendo's hardware on launch; they tend to be the only consoles that truly excite me and give me truly amazing experiences"
I would like to add that none of my Nintendo consoles have ever failed me and I have every Nintendo launch console since the SNES. I got the NES within a year of launch. Every Sony and Microsoft console I've ever owned has cratered at some point in the first two years.
@banacheck Sony is also losing money on every PS4 console it sells.
@CliffordB it's simple, really. I have a large backlog of PS4 games also. But I can't take those with me when I'm on the road 6 days a week. The Switch will likely become my go to console as of March 3rd, but I'll still dust off the PS4 from time to time when I'm at home.
Neat, but I'm buying Switch anyway. :^P And a February purchase wouldn't have quite cut it with Disney Infinity servers closing in March, so I have no regrets about my $330 Slim obtained last December anyway.
And didn't Sony say they didn't view Switch as direct competition? They're selling specs and visuals for a gamer's couch and plasma panel set while Switch is bridging home consoles into the very sphere Sony seems to have given up on after Vita didn't make a splash in the west. Looks like a territory division in progress. XD
At this point I don't think sony see nintendo as rivals anymore.
Damn good deal for those who haven't bought PS4 yet. I'm buying Switch at launch, because I don't have my Wii U anymore and I'm pumped about the 1st year lineup, unlike some people. Especially if Xenoblade 2 does meet it's slated 2017 release, holy hell. It's going to be a good year for PlayStation and Nintendo fans for sure. Cmon, hate me.
And then the day after you buy this deal they'll start up selling you on Pro.
I've no interest in the Switch. I have a 3ds for my Ninty games.
@FX102A To be fair I never actually go mad when going for trophies, I've hardly got any Platinum trophies at all out of all the PS3/PS4 games I've played, just a few.
All I'm really saying is that I'm nine times out of ten more likely to play a game that has achievements/trophies over a game that has not got any, I just find them fun to aim for, I guess I've just got used to having them in games nowadays so when playing any game without them I tend to really notice and miss having them.
As I mentioned before if I only owned a Wii U or only owned a Switch then it would not be a problem, but owning both a PS4 & Xbox One the Switch just like the Wii U before it will probably not get much of a look in.
Just to add I'm a long time Nintendo fan, but just feel they need to catch up with the competition more in so many areas to get me more interested in their console again, an achievement system is one thing, but then just in general their online setup is WAY! behind the competition, so at the end of the day I need more from Nintendo to convince me to keep my pre-order.
@Hordak [Sony is also losing money on every PS4 console it sells.]
The days at selling console's at a loss but making it up through Software is long gone, hence the PS4 architecture. Sony announced at launch the PS4 will not sell at a loss, and now 4 years on the price of the same components are a lot cheaper. Hence the same design shrunk down plus saving money on the hardware its self especially in the long run.
https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/155521-playtation-4-sony-announces-the-ps4-wont-be-sold-at-loss
Sorta suspected this. My guess is that we will play how low can you go Sony this year which is good for us consumers. But yeah definitively get a Switch but will probably also get a pro when it drops between $250-$300 or something like that.
It's pretty hard to find anywhere you can pre-order a Switch for release day in the UK at least, but I assume that is the same everywhere, so I doubt this is going to do much to affect Nintendo's initial sales and the offer ends before that console's release anyway.
@CliffordB I'm also in the camp of playing games for fun, not for trophies, but even so a lot of Nintendo games have rewards for completing challenges you may not otherwise have thought of or tried, the difference being they give extra levels, items or those stickers if that's your thing. Xenoblade Chronicles X has in game achievements too, but I've read people don't like that as they're not attached to your account which is just weird. Getting an achievement on PS4 for killing a boss you have to kill to progress always struck me as a bit pointless anyway.
It's the same deal they had during the holidays. Sony definitely wants #1 spot in console sales for February
I wouldn't consider this a counter-attack to Switch, but a "we have less sales year-over-year...pop that holiday deal back in!". Switch has an entirely different form factor.
@NorrinRadd W/ low PS4 Pro stock this long after launch it's almost like - Why did they even bother making it? All they do is bundle and advertise the Slim. Either make it or don't make it.
Maybe in retrospect they should have launched PSVR this holiday and Pro in the spring. I think historically the newer hardware gets announced and released in the spring.
Why anyone would choose a Switch over a PS4 is baffling to me.
@FX102A Couldn't agree more. Trophies/Achievements are completely pointless and offer no benefits to anyone. I play a game for fun, challenge and mostly entertainment.
@SwitchB1tch Thanks for pointing that out, but it's common knowledge, and also the reason why I didn't buy a PS4, WiiU, or X1 at launch either.
The difference with the Switch is that Nintendo has had at the very least 3 years to plan ahead for this, knowing the WiiU was a commercial failure. Kimishima had even stated that several WiiU projects were pulled in order to provide a "strong" launch for the Switch. Lo and behold, it's just not happening.
Sony and MS were both coming off successful last gen consoles, and could afford to provide minimal launch support, knowing PS3 and 360 would make up for it. Nintendo doesn't have that luxury. So coming out the gate with a weak lineup isn't doing them any favors.
@CliffordB
I should be able to disable trophies if I want to. They are absolutely, completely, totally pointless. Like a high score game with no end. It surprises me how many people fall in love with an arbitrary number and literally can't enjoy gaming without them.
@SwitchB1tch I'd have to say that's entirely situational, actually. The PS4 came out as the successor to PS3, nothing fancy, just a console and a controller. Nothing super fancy or flashy.
The Switch is coming off Nintendo's worst selling home console, and is being marketed as a "jack of all trades" machine. It most certainly needs high quality games within the first year, third party support, and the ability to prove that the features it's touting aren't just a simple gimmick that only two or three games will take advantage of (like the WiiU Gamepad).
That being said, the games lineup overall for the first year does look good. I'm not debating that. I did, however, buy a Wiiu after it's first year, thinking the games would keep rolling in, and honestly it was a huge disappointment when we didn't get some games that seemed like a given. For the first time since N64, Metroid was completely skipped over. For the first time ever, the WiiU didn't receive it's own Zelda game, only a port to be shared. Support basically dropped off after Splatoon.
I'm sure that in a year or so i'll be very tempted to pick up a Switch, but my wallet is more than happy to wait it out until mid or late 2018, just to make sure I don't end up with another Nintendo console collecting dust because they made the same mistakes they did with the WiiU.
@Switch81tch Zelda will sell the first two million, easily. Mario Odyssey will sell double that in the fall/winter, and even more if it gets a bundle. After that, the ball is in Nintendo's court to keep pumping out first party games, at the very least one every quarter.
I think a lot of WiiU owners are hesitant because there really isn't anything new until Odyssey. MK8 and Splatoon hold up well on WiiU, and so will Zelda. For me, I have such a backlog of excellent games, and 3(!) games coming out in the next month, I have more than enough keeping me busy well into 2018 without dropping $400 on a Switch. However, if they announce a new 3D Metroid game, made by Retro Studios, all bets are off
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