Major Japanese daily paper The Asahi Shimbum has reportedly suggested that Sony's new upcoming PlayStation console will launch this year, at a price point above JPY¥40,000 (over US$400), (via Gematsu):

“Yesterday (on February 6), it became clear that Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will reveal it’s new game system, PlayStation 4, which will release within the year,” reads the paper. “This is the first new model since PS3 was released in 2006, and it’s expected that there will be a rush to meet year-end sales demands between Japan and America. The price is expected to exceed 40,000 yen.”

To iron out the yen to USD conversion: PlayStation 3′s cheapest model, the 20 gigabyte SKU, launched at $500 in North America. In Japan, it cost 49,980 yen, which converts to about $535. 40,000 yen converts to about $428. If we’re following PlayStation 3 launch pricing, it’s safe to say that by ‘greater than 40,000 yen,’ Asahi is saying ‘greater than $400′ for the overseas market.
Based on the console's rumoured specifications, it is reasonably presumable to speculate at such a price point (and probably tack on another AU$100 or so Australia Tax for a local release whenever that might end up being), but we suggest taking it with a grain of salt, as it does seem unlikely that the publication would have received this information from insider sources.

Sony is widely expected to unveil the console at New York event on February 20th, but we highly doubt any pricing will be on offer then --as any internal price targets the company has at present would most likely still be subject to change, dependant on what market conditions (including both the YEN exchange rate, and competitor movements) are like closer to the anticipated holiday 2013 launch.

ausgamers