The PS5 Now Has a Price and a November Release Date

Finally, we have prices and release dates for all of 2020's next-gen consoles. Today, Sony has announced that both versions of the PlayStation 5 are launching on November 12. The Digital Edition, which lacks a disc drive, will be priced at $399.99, while the console with the Ultra HD Blu-ray drive will cost $499.99.

Sony confirmed the date and prices during a new showcase presentation. With the November launch now confirmed, we also have a much firmer idea of what the PS5's launch window lineup looks like, including cross-gen releases like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Cyberpunk 2077, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Sony has been under pressure to announce its next-gen release plans, following the leak and subsequent confirmation of Xbox's date and prices for its next generation of console hardware. Both the Xbox Series S, long rumored under the codename Lockhart, and the Xbox Series X have their prices and release dates set. Sony's price point for the digital-only console is $100 more than the Xbox Series S, but the two PS5 consoles are equivalent in power while Microsoft has paired back its cheaper system to deliver a similar experience to Series X at lower resolutions.

The last week of August did see Sony open a pre-registration program for PS5 pre-orders to existing PlayStation Network subscribers. That program does not guarantee invitations to everyone who signed up for it, and it also limits each invited PSN ID to a pre-order for either one PS5 console or a PS5 Digital Edition.

In July, reports claimed that Sony aims to produce between 9 and 10 million PS5 units by the end of 2020. Subsequent reporting indicates that Sony has had to adjust manufacturing targets down due to process issues.

At long last, the prices are here and we've got a better idea of what folks will be playing at launch; now we'll see how hard it is to get a hold of a PS5 for the holidays.