PlayStation 4 getting a price cut
Been holding out on buying a PlayStation 4, either for yourself or as a gift? Waiting may be the hardest part according to Tom Petty, but it is also your friend.
Starting Friday, Oct. 9, the price of the system will be cut $50 across most of its various packages, bringing the base price down to $349.99 — the same as Microsoft's Xbox One — from its original $399.99.
How does this affect specific bundles? The prices will be (listed as "new price/old price"):
• "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" bundle (launching Oct. 9): $349.99/$399.99
• "Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars" limited edition bundle (Nov. 13): $399.99/$449.99
• "Star Wars Battlefront" limited edition bundle with Darth Vader on the case (Nov. 17): $399.99/$449.99
• "Star Wars Battlefront" bundle (Nov. 17): $349.99/$399.99
The one bundle that isn't getting a $50 price cut is the upcoming limited edition "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" bundle, launching Nov. 6. Featuring the game and a 1TB hard drive, it's getting a $20 drop to $429.99 from the original $449.99.
This price cut had been expected because a similar one was initiated in Japan last month. Though it's leading the current-gen console race with 25.3 million consoles sold through June 30 and normally comes out on top of the monthly NPD sales charts, Sony is looking to play defense against a hard-charging Microsoft, which has new Xbox One bundles on the way and an overall stronger holiday 2015 software lineup.
(That last bit isn't meant to stir up conflict. It's just how things have shaken out due to delays and protracted development of key PS4 titles. Had "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" been able to stick to its original late 2015 window, it would be a different picture, but a smoothed-out collection of Nathan Drake's earlier PS3 adventures doesn't quite compare to a "Halo 5: Guardians.")
New Xbox One bundles announced for holiday season
(h/t PlayStation Blog)
Call Star online editor Channing King at (317) 444-8073. Follow him @ChanningKing.