PS4 To Come In Four Models, Cheapest To Be $399

A fresh rumor coming from GamesIndustry.biz claims that Sony will ship four models of PS4, with the cheapest costing $399.

Here’s the gist of the article:

The details are expected to be clarified at Sony’s own E3 press conference this evening; it’s currently unclear what the main differences will be among the PS4 SKUs, but our source said that Sony’s looking to push 4K resolution technology as a “stepping stone” to glasses free 3D.

While cheaper versions of the PS4 (possibly as low as $399) will make a purchase much more palatable to the average consumer this holiday season, it’s somewhat surprising that Microsoft and Sony are pushing hardware at such high price points. The PS3′s launch at $599 back in 2006 was a very sore spot for the company, and console manufacturers are facing increasing pressure from other platforms, including tablets, smartphones and the PC itself with services like Steam. $499 and $599 will be hard to swallow for many.

If true, Sony would be positioning itself pretty strong against Microsoft who announced that Xbox One would retail for $499 U.S., €499 in Europe and £429 in UK.