No one knows the price point for either the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. It’s likely that even the companies creating the hardware are unsure of where that dollar figure will finally land. However, leading games retailer GameStop feels pretty confident that gamers won’t be sinking nearly as much cash into next-gen consoles as they did with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
This comes from GameStop chief financial officer Rob Lloyd, who recently spoke about all things related to the highly profitable business during a post-earnings financial call. The company hasn’t heard a peep from either Sony or Microsoft concerning what the actual number will be when the consoles hit the market this fall, but plans on seeing a "lower opening price point than they did last cycle." For reference, the Xbox 360 launched in 2005 for $300/$400, and the PlayStation 3 debuted in 2006 for $500/600.
It’s been almost eight years since the launch of the 360, and while it makes sense for Sony to launch below the $500 mark, anything less than $300 for Microsoft would be shocking. As you can see from the architecture of both consoles, these are much more high-tech machines than what we’ve dealt with in the past.
GameStop also discussed its role in the future of console sales, claiming that it will be a leading retailer as we make the transition. The trade-in credit the company is known for will allow interested buyers to see big returns on old games and consoles, but if Xbox 360 or PS3 owners ever want to play their old games, it might be smart to hang on to current-gen technology.