CNN reports the Sony PSP price might go down to $149

12 August 2006
Ferry

CNN reports the Sony PSP price might go down to $149

At the moment Sony’s PlayStation Portable Core Pack costs $200. I actually got mine in the $250 bundle pack with the extra headphones, carrying case and 1GB memory stick. The point being that it’s not cheap for a portable, even if it can do a lot more than play games.

P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research says: “There is a price cut coming in the second half of the year,” and mentioned he expects the PSP’s price to drop by $50 to $150. He continued: “The PSP has lost momentum. Nintendo has had a great run since it launched the $130 DS Lite and Sony needs to regain some ground.”

CNN Money reports that this holiday, in addition to the expected price cuts, the PSP will see the release of “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories,” which should help boost sales. And waiting in the wings is an online Sony store that will allow PSP owners to buy, download and play classic games from the original PlayStation system.

A $149 price point would put the PSP in the same range as the DS, which currently sells for $129. Nintendo is less likely to reduce its price as it continues to have problems meeting demand for the machine worldwide.

That could give Sony an advantage - as the PSP can also double as a portable video player. While many studios and retailers have abandoned the system’s UMD discs for movies, Sony has struck deals allowing people to transfer content from their Tivos and Web videos.

Filed in: