PS5 Price to Be $399, Specifications Include AMD Ryzen 3600G CPU: Analyst

While Sony is yet to confirm the PS5 price, it appears the successor to the PS4 may be cheaper than originally anticipated. Due to the presence of relatively advanced features such as a solid state drive, which have been the domain of PCs outside of the PS3 Super Slim (12GB SSD) and the Xbox One Elite (1TB hybrid drive), it's been widely speculated that the PS5 price would be on the higher side. However one analyst believes the PS5 may cost just as much as the PS4.

According to Pelham Smithers, MD of market research firm Pelham Smithers Associates that specialises in Japanese manufacturing, the PS5 specifications will include an AMD Ryzen 3600G CPU. This is possible when considering what Sony's Mark Cerny has elaborated regarding the PS5's specifications — a 7nm 8-core Ryzen CPU that supports ray-tracing, is 8K compatible, and works with the AMD Navi 20 GPU. By the second half of 2019, Smithers speculates that it would priced around $180 and $220 per unit, which should allow for a $399 PS5 he said in conversation with Wired.

Furthermore, Smithers believes that Sony will use its own games to showcase the power of the PS5 such as 8K and ray tracing.

"This is important because the more Sony can use its own IP to drive hardware performance, the more clear water there is between the PS5 and Xbox Two," said Smithers.

While this is par for the course given Sony's history, Smithers' thoughts on pricing are interesting when you compare it to what the company has said previously.

The PS5 price may be more than the PS4 if statements from Sony's Lead Systems Architect Mark Cerny are any indication. While Sony has laid bare what to expect from the PS5 in terms of specifications, backwards compatibility, and the inclusion of a solid state drive in conversation with Wired, there was no mention of the console's price. Turns out that part of the discussion didn't make it to the story. According to Peter Rubin, Senior Correspondent at the publication, the PS5's price did come up in his meeting with Cerny.

"I believe that we will be able to release it at an SRP [suggested retail price] that will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set," Cerny said to Rubin.

This revelation has arisen following intense speculation of the PS5's price what with it shipping with a solid state drive, which is still an expensive proposition. Usually pricing on a new console is announced closer to release. For example, the PS4's price revealed at E3 2013 in June with the console shipping in November. Chances are we're in for a similar situation this time around. Hopefully, Smithers is right on this one. A more expensive console doesn't help Sony or its many fans.

If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.