Sony Considered PS5 Game Prices Higher Than $70 - Report

With games prices quickly settling into a new normal of $70, it's being reported that Sony, maker of the PlayStation 5, did consider trying to price its first-party titles even higher before settling on the new price.

A report by Bloomberg on the rise in games pricing makes mention of conversations that Sony had about the price of its games. It states that before settling on the same $70 that seems likely to be the new standard industry-wise, the PS5 maker was potentially going to aim higher.

A Sony representative, speaking to Bloomberg, explained the increase in price reflects the growing costs of development, but also pointed towards other first-party titles that will be launching at $50, such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

The idea of pushing prices up to recoup ballooning development costs attributed to higher-quality games is one that has been cited by Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick in the company's latest earning's call.

"We don't have a pricing strategy," he said. "We charge much, much less than the value we deliver. That's our pricing strategy, if we have one."

As it stands, Take-Two (including 2K), Sony, and Activision are some of the publishers that have already committed to price increases, with titles like Demon's Souls, NBA 2K21, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War all retailing for $70 in one way or another. Other publishers, like Capcom, haven't explicitly said one way or another if an increase is on the way, but that new games will be assessed on a "title-by-title" basis. EA is similarly taking some time to crunch some numbers before confirming any increases.

The PlayStation 5 launches this week on November 12, with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, Bugsnax, Astro's Playroom, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure all launching on the same day. Check out our PS5 review for all our thoughts on Sony's big new console.