Sony 'looking at' releasing multiple PS4 hardware SKUs

Sony is considering releasing multiple PlayStation 4 hardware SKUs when the console goes on sale in Europe later this year, potentially bundling in additional software and accessories.

[allformats]

To me, it's still PS4 all the way. Xbox One still has a lot of issues like mandatory Kinect, and Microsoft simply cannot be trusted after they universally tried to screw gamers.

I've already preordered my console via Amazon. Killzone/PS Plus Bundle.

[blitz0623]

$499 - 1TB hard drive + PS eye + A Move controller
$599 - 1TB hard drive + Vita

[Polysix]

I've already got 2 move controllers so bonus time! :)

PS4 has this one in the bag.

#gops4

[KingKevo]

I'm waiting for a Vita bundle. I did already pre-order my PS4, but it would be nice to see a Vita bundle as well and it would totally make sense to have one. And it would definitely interest me and probably some other people a lot.

But I think they'll wait before they announce it. Who knows, we might get to see a slim Vita or it will get a price drop at gamescom or TGS and then they'll announce it. yn

[MASTER_RAIDEN]

move controller + nav and camera. thatd be what, about $30 dollars in savings? seems like a pretty great deal at 499. maybe the 1TB hardrive is a bit much though.

[PurpHerbison]

1TB hard drive should be standard. I can only imagine "next gen" to push digital gaming even harder. 500GB hard drive will be full within half a year of PS+. Even faster depending how big these next gen games are in size. 500GB was really a hard drive size of 6 years ago.

[zeee]

Ok, I know this is highly unlikely that Sony will do something like this but lets dream for a while shall we?

How cool would be a $499 PS4 + PS VITA bundle?!

Can you IMAGINE how many people will flock to get that deal?

[thereapersson]

looks like i had some good premonitions:

http://n4g.com/comments/red...

[Wenis]

I'm cheap, so I'll most likely get the cheapest SKU no matter what lol.

[MuleKick]

Definitely hoping for a PSV bundle. Thanks to PS+, I already have about 10 games download on my PS3. Fingers crossed.

[Mikeyy]

@PurpHerbison

Lucky for us Sony allows you to swap HDD's.

Throwing a 1TB in there wont be an issue at all.

[Xer0_SiN]

ps4 PLUS (pun intended ;)) vita bundle? fucking score! that would be a killer setup right out the box.

[Godz Kastro]

Dude I was hard core ms all the way last gen. I had a ps3 but never used it so I sold it. I just reserved my Xbox 1 today and when I looked at the list of launch games I was stunned. Plus all devs know kinect is there so they can add game features with it.

I'll buy a ps4 eventually but they are fragmenting their users if they sale this stuff separately. Just saying...

[Machiavellian]

@Mikeyy

Personally I would rather add an additional drive then have to swap out a drive. Why lose my 500GB to swap in a 1TB, when it would be better to keep my 500GB and then add another 1TB

[tubers]

^Genius.

Hope you bundle in a 4GB VITA card on the PS4+VITA bundle btw.

[R6ex]

PS4 with 1TB drive, please.
My PC games have far exceeded its 1TB drive. Now I've cloned my games onto another 4TB WD Black drive.

[3-4-5]

PS4 + Vita bundle for $550 would be amazing.

[ded1020]

I don't think they'd bundle them for less than $600. But I would be chomping at the bit to get at that bundle with that price!

[Livecustoms]

Mandatory Kinect is going to make Microsoft lose soo many sales however the funny thing is there so stupid they dont realise aha

[jts1891]

Not really. Aside from a few paranoid loons roaming the internet who don't have a clue how the Kinect works, no one really cares beyond the price.

[StoneyYoshi]

@jts1891

A few paranoid loons? LOL dude you have no idea what you are talking about. You are just another blind sheep thinking the US Government isn't watching us. There is so much proof on the internet about it that there are memes about it.

here is a link proving microsoft's along with many others involvement with the government watching us.

http://motherboard.vice.com...

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Dontbhatin: If you only have to connect it once when you first buy it how is Kinect going to spy on you? Do you think Kinect sends magical signals through the air to the government? If you are one of those paranoid types then simply don't ever plug it into the internet again.

I would be more worried about a cell phone.

[zeee]

Thomper: There is so much "wrong" in your comment man. Game of Thrones is only a show you know!? Incest is sick as it can get even if you are joking.

[StoneyYoshi]

@GiantEnemyCrab

"If you are one of those paranoid types then simply don't ever plug it into the internet again."

Seriously? That's your solution to keep it from watching and hearing everything you do by not going on the internet with it? The main thing you need to enjoy the most out of your $500 system? With that logic you might as well not even purchase the damn system....DERP!

I shouldn't have to take that route to keep something from watching me. It shouldn't be mandatory to use if the first place.

Don't comment to somebody trying to make a point if you aren't going to do so in the first place...

[nosferatuzodd]

vita bundle please

[AndrewLB]

I can pretty much guarantee that Kinect will not be mandatory and will have an 'off' button. People in the United States are finally starting to wake up and realize our Government has been slowly but surely chipping away at the peoples expectation of privacy and making Kinect mandatory in this political climate would be suicide for Microsoft.

[darx]

You say alot but only mention 1.

[MariaHelFutura]

They should keep it simple. One with no camera, one w/ a camera and some ones w/ games bundled in.

[CraigandDayDay]

One with a camera for like $440 would be cool. Save me $20 on the camera.

[jukins]

Im actually surprised that they didnt shoehorn a camera bundle into the e3 conference after microsoft revealed their price still cheaper than xbox1 even if they dont slash a few dollars off on a bundle.

[Blackdeath_663]

people have this misconception that a company like sony or MS can make random decision on a whim. they would have agreed on the price and package months if not years before the conference there is no way they can make such decision in the few hours between the MS conference and theirs

[morganfell]

I would have jumped on a camera deal. I preordered two with cameras, one from Amazon and one from Best Buy, with both being launch day versions.

Not everyone can afford or wants a camera though so the choice for purchasers is a definite plus.

[Polysix]

I believe they originally intended to bundle the camera in with ps4 but removed it for price advantage (as it's not as integral as kinect) which was possibly a smart move for market share.

However I do use move and have a cam (obv) so I will indeed buy a cam for PS4. One thing, the gamepads with built in lights signals an intent for included camera, but it's not a massive deal but if I'm honest it would have been nice being bundled at a reduced cost (and to ensure everyone had one). At least it's not a spy device. :P

[jukins]

@blackdeath_663 the only misconception here is you thinking that sony never considered a camera bundle. The ONLY reason there was no camera bundle announced at e3 is because they didnt know the price of the xbox 1 and they wanted to come out as low as possible. And when I say conference I mean the entire event they didnt have to do it during the presentation but a little announcment during e3 couldve done wonders.

[Blackdeath_663]

a bundle with a vita that is significantly cheaper than buying the two seperate is what i would definitely go for.

[MariaHelFutura]

Yes. I completely forgot a Vita bundle.

[Polysix]

Yep... I'd be all over that

[Double_O_Revan]

I've been looking for a reason to buy one. that would do it.

[yami930]

I'd take a bundle with the camera and PS plus for $499 (which will save $10). With all the free-to-play games coming out for PS4 I don't think there is as much of a need to bundle in games as before (but it still is always nice like amazons launch bundles Game + PS Plus) and if your throwing in PS Plus, you get Driveclub PS+ and some indie games. But yeah like you said, its best to keep it simple with the SKU's, the less customer confusion the more satisfied people are knowing what they get.

[nosferatuzodd]

indeed

[lucaskeller1]

Does this mean it could be cheaper than 399???

[MooseWI]

Most likely bundles. They're already lower by $100, I don't see them going any lower especially since they have better hardware in the first place.

[DeadlyFire]

Only if they offer a subscription plan like how Microsoft did the X360.

Otherwise its likely the other SKUs will feature extra stuff so higher price.

[Death]

They are looking to do the same as Amazon. With the overwhelming support of "gamers", they want to recoup on some of the losses associated with hardware sales by including software which generates additional revenue and profit to offset the costs.

[KrisButtar]

I hope one gets bundle with the PS camera and a second controller.

[Cam977]

May somebody please tell me, what is an SKU?

[STARS]

SKU: Stock Keeping Unit. Multiple SKU's only leads to better flexibility for the consumer, so I'm sure Sony will be onboard with this.

[iceman06]

Simply, it's another way to buy the main thing that you want with different options. For example, a PS4 that is bundled with the new Playstation Eye. Usually, they make it so that you save money over buying the items separately.

[Cam977]

Perfect! Thanks.

[telekineticmantis]

they would make one sku come packed with the camera, with the liited supply at launch you'll get alot more cameras in homes, which if Sony didn't know... is a good thing. But it's a Sony, so smart business decisions ar not their strength.

[GenericNameHere]

"But it's a Sony, so smart business decisions are not their strength."

That is so 2006. Sony has been very smart with their business decisions lately. Maybe you should try doing your research better next time, you ignorant troll.

[Death]

Smart business decisions are like hindsight. They are only smart down the road if they are successful. If Sony is selling the PS4 at a greater loss than Microsoft and they sell alot more units, this won't be great short term if software sales don't offset it. Had they added the camera which retails for $60 and priced it the same as Microsoft and still had the support they do, that would have been very smart. Instead they are looking at ways to increase the cost to customers with different sku's since their confidence is very high now.

The $399 price was desperation hoping they would get the support that they have received and take away from Microsofts momentum.

[iceman06]

Death...Sony has always taken a loss on the initial shipment of hardware. This isn't desperation. It's just tradition. They bet on software making up for hardware (in the beginning) and market penetration. The only company that usually doesn't take that loss is Nintendo.

[Death]

I am aware that console hardware takes a loss at launch. The amount of the loss is determined by the MSRP. Sony needed to be lower than the Xbox which is why they were dancing in the aisles or whatever the articles mentioned. The perceived $100 difference doesn't take into account what is included in the box. That is why Sony is increasing the MSRP by adding more to the box. Everyone says it's about choice. It's ironic since the choice to get the $399 console is all but gone, being replaced by retailer bundles and now manufacturer bundles. No one else has noticed since the e3 price announcement the PS4 price is going up if you want one this year?

[Wh15ky]

Surely most people realise that the quoted price is for the cheapest/entry level version or the "from" price.

The PS4 is from $399. But nobody will only spend $399 when buying it unless they dont want any games or an additional controller or the camera etc.

The xbox one is from $499. But again nobody will only spend $499 when buying it unless they dont want any games or an additional controller etc.

But when it comes to advertising, the PS4 will have the edge from the offset because the adverts will say "from $399" and thats what people see and remember. Microsoft should be well aware of this tactic because its worked so well for them during this gen, its strange that they have chosen to forfeit it now.

[thehitman]

Sony is probably looking at the Amazon bundles as judgement. As as a result of MS being so kind to releasing 100 dollars more, thats 100 dollars more of things worth Sony can potentially bundle to really show their better worth. I got the KZ bundle and ps+ that will cost me 499 so already ill have that and a year of the service which comes with drive club + version day 1. A lot more value then anything MS can offer by a landslide. If you want a game + xbl will cost you about 650 dollars at launch unless you already had xbl from your 360.

[Death]

And if you buy a camera that will receive very little support like many are doing with your bundle, you are at $560. When you buy your XboxOne bundle that includes Kinect and a game, you are at (wait for it)....$560. What are the chances everyones Live subscription expires the day the XboxOne is released? Nice way to add the cost for everyone though to justify your purchase. By a landslide.

Not to pick, but a game and Live sub would take it to $620, but your point is much clearer when you exaggerate and inflate the numbers 25%.

[GenericNameHere]

•Make a PS4/Vita combo bundle at $600. You save $50 on Vita

•PS4 1TB HDD or 500GB PS4 w/PS4Eye for $450

•PS4 1TB HDD with PS4 Eye for $500

-Add in at least a 30-day PS+ Membership to all.

[WeAreLegion]

Give us more colors, a bigger HDD, and a Vita Bundle. ;)

[IcicleTrepan]

I kinda hope they don't do this. There's really no need. if you want a bigger HD, just install it yourself and if you want the camera, it's out there to buy.

[RE_L_MAYER]

I would take a bundle with ps4 and xbox one bundled together so I can leave xbox in a dark corner and laught at it every time I play ps4

[PositiveEmotions]

What does sku mean?

[Death]

Stock Keeping unit.

It's the identifier given to retail products that seperate them from others. Each different variation of the PS4 has it's own identifier or SKU number. The Launch unit is different then the Killzone bundle. Each bundle has it's own sku.

[jimmywolf]

not trying be rude but people got real lazy on the internet Google took me 5 seconds

SKU refers to a stock-keeping unit, a unique identifier for each distinct product and service that can be purchased in business.

[PositiveEmotions]

Google can be stupid some times because if i search "hot chicks" they show me chickens.

Its why i ask you guys.

[Angeljuice]

@PositiveEmotions

I don't think that google is the one being stupid. If you look for what you want in real terms rather than slang you'd be fine. 'Hot chicks' means baby chickens with a high temperature.

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

Stock Keeping Unit.

[gamertk421]

They've gotta do something to get people talking about them again...

[GraveLord]

You do realize that any talking about the Xbox One right now is negative right? I mean they went back on their word and they've had a huge PR nightmare for weeks.

[mochachino]

I'd love a sku that came with a year of PSN plus and a BF4 or Killzone for $500.

[shadow2797]

You mean like this:
http://www.amazon.com/PlayS...
Or this:
http://www.amazon.com/PlayS...

[o-Sunny-o]

@mochachino have you checked Amazon it does exist. PS4, KZ4, and Plus 1 year. Or BF4 bundle.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

PS4 + Vita combo makes the most sense to me.

[GraveLord]

Please don't. You have the price advantage, don't lose it.
If you release a premium model people will only focus on that price.......game bundles are fine though.

[WickedLester]

I might consider upgrading to a PS Eye bundle. Couldn't swing a Vita bundle though.

[TheGrimReaper0011]

Id like this bundle:
- console (duh)
- 2 controllers
- headset
- 1 terra hd

[tweet75]

just a ps4 1TB with vita for $499 would be a great way to compete with microsoft

[LakerGamerEnthusiast]

LOL.

Don't even feel like a reply is needed to warrant how insane this idea is.

[sway_z]

I don't mind multiple SKU's a premium Silver PS4 1TB HDD Extra Controller with 1 year PS+ membership inc. ready to play Driveclub @£499.

I really would like a digital copy with my retail game purchases or a full game install next gen, so that I can save on the Blu Ray drive.

[Soldierone]

If its bundling things with it I'm fine. I'm honestly surprised that they didn't have a Vita bundle, why not cross promote the things for once?

Plus an Eye bundle is obviously going to come eventually.

I just don't want it to be like PS3, where one is stripped down just enough to annoy you, while the other one is expensive.

[buynit]

I already have vita so dont need a bundle for that:) ps move and or game(s) would be nice.

[S2Killinit]

I Pre ordered my PS4 already, now the wait...

[thatsBangin]

Ps4/Vita bundle would be nice indeed

[Truehellfire]

I am kind of thinking three SKUs:
$400: Console, 1 Controller and 500GB
$500: Console, PS Eye, Two Controllers and 500GB
$600: Console, PS Eye, Two Controllers, 1TB and free game

[Jaqen_Hghar]

A man likes these bundles and would get this bundle if the game were KZ and the 2 more expensive ones had a year of +

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

I'd really like the 1tb harddrive idea but if they are going to bundle it with move it better get way better support! I bought 2 moves/navis this gen and got rid of a set do to lackluster support!

[eyeDEVOUR]

I'd be all over a 160gig for 299$

[DivineAssault]

I want them to but at the same time, i already reserved 3 of them.. I hope i have the opportunity to just upgrade my orders

[MikeyDucati1]

I believe I will be buying the PS Eye this generation, so if you got that bundle, I'm listening.

[johny5]

how about a 350$ 160gb - 120gb sku? Come on SONY do it!!!

[tweet75]

sony should offer a free year of ps plus with every ps4 sold. This would add great value.