Sony reveals PlayStation 5 price and release date, Harry Potter RPG and more

Sony’s PlayStation 5 showcase revealed the upcoming console’s price, release date and some very, very highly anticipated games.

Earlier in September, Microsoft announced the prices of the upper tier Xbox Series X ($499) and more affordably priced Xbox Series S ($299). That makes the Xbox Series S the cheapest ninth console generation yet — and prospective PS5 buyers were wondering whether Sony would match or even beat this low price.

Well, now we know: the PlayStation 5 will be sold at $499 while the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will be $399, roughly $100 more than the Xbox Series S.

Sony also confirmed that both models of the PlayStation 5 will launch on Nov. 12, just two days after the Xbox Series consoles launch on Nov. 10 and right in time for the 2020 holiday season.

The company also revealed trailers for a bevy of upcoming titles, including Final Fantasy XVI, Spider-Man Miles Morales, the Demon’s Souls remake and Hogwart’s Legacy, the long-rumored Harry Potter RPG.

Oh yeah, and Sony also shared a teaser for the next God of War game, which may or may not be named God of War: Ragnarok. According to the teaser, the upcoming game will not be a launch title and is slated for release in 2021.

Initially, it seemed as if Microsoft may have had the upper hand in the next console war because of its competitive pricing, but Sony’s powerful stable of exclusive titles may be tipping the balance.

The event caused a lot of confusion about what games featured were PlayStation 5 exclusives and for how long, so much so that Sony had to clarify the confusion for multiple games.

For simplicity’s sake, just know this: Final Fantasy XVI, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and the Demon’s Souls remake are all exclusive for the PlayStation 5 indefinitely until Sony or the respective developers say otherwise.

However, Horizon Zero Dawn was a critically acclaimed Sony exclusive in 2017 that eventually came to PC in 2020. There’s precedent for this so if you’re a PC gamer who really wants to play these titles but don’t want to pick up a PlayStation 5, you can safely keep your fingers crossed. It just might take a few years of patience.

The PlayStation 5 is launching on Nov. 12 in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It will be available everywhere else on Nov. 19.

If you enjoyed this story, check out In The Know’s article on Tom Holland calling the “Uncharted” movie “everything I dreamed it would be.”

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