The PlayStation 4 has been a success for Sony. It has managed to sell over 110 million units since its first release at the end of 2013. There are several reasons for this: It was initially more powerful than the Xbox One, it had arguably better exclusive games and it was marketed as a gaming device first, unlike the Xbox One which was marketed as a gaming and media center.
Setting aside the PS4 vs Xbox One debate, the PS4 was a big hit in Kenya. If you live in the urban areas, you probably know a few of your friends who own the PS4 and all of its variants. Some have the original PS4 while others have the Slim model while others have the way more powerful PS4 Pro.
It is 2020 and this is the year we get to see the PlayStation 5. There is a lot of hype about the next-generation console and it is valid. It features current generation hardware which you find in high-end PCs and it is insanely powerful. The console is scheduled to be released at the end of the year and there is a lot of hype around it.
You would expect the demand for the PS4 to be low as the looming release of the PS5 nears. However, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, something interesting has happened. Prices all over the world, including Kenya, have shot up!
In Kenya, the prices for PS4s have shot up dramatically, even higher than the initial prices we had in 2013. On Jumia, a 500GB (not even a 1TB one) is being sold for Kshs 55,000. Game changer sells the PS4 Slim 1TB for around 50K and the PS4 Pro for around 65K. On Vivigold, PS4s are retail for over 41,000. Some have even found PS4s being sold for Kshs 70,000 in Kenya, which is just insane.
The sanest prices I’ve seen from Kenya retailers are the ones sold by Ronda motech. A 500GB PS4 is being sold for 38K and the 1TB PS4 Pro is retailing for 49k.
When you check established foreign online retailers, the PS4 pricing is all over the place. On Amazon, used PS4 Pros are being sold for $490 and used slims are going for $429, which is ridiculous. Walmart is saner where a 1TB PS4 Slim is being sold for $299 but PS4 Pros are being sold for as low as $474. On Best Buy, PS4s are sold for $299 like Walmart and PS4 Pros are $499 new, which is so far the best deal compared to the other retailers.
The PS4 was $399 at launch, the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro came later on at $299 and $399 respectively 3 years later.
So in general, prices of PlayStation 4/Pro are either above base price or way above expected, which is kind of interesting. This could be attributed to a combination of factors like reduced supply, shipping constraints due to COVID-19 pandemic or an increase in demand due to more people staying at home.
This is the worst time to buy a PS4
This is the worst year to buy a PS4. The PlayStation 5 will be out in 6 months or so and it is so much better than the PS4. It has roughly 4 times the CPU power and roughly 6 times the graphics power. There is no need to buy a PS4 yet there is a much better one looming on the horizon.
Thanks to the complications regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping stuff is not as easy as before. Add to the higher prices we are seeing being levied on PS4 products on sites like Amazon and these have made the PS4 series more expensive than last year. It would be insanely stupid to buy a PS4 right now with such pricing.
The only people that could be willing to pay for PS4s at their current high prices are either those that own gaming cafes or people with money and don’t care about the PS5.
Last year was the best time to buy a PS4. There were so many deals out there. Black Friday, for example, had Walmart and Best Buy selling 1TB PS4 bundles that included God of War, Last of Us, and Horizon Zero for $199, which is nuts. PS4 Pros were being sold for $299. It was indeed the best year to buy a PS4 if you didn’t own one, but in 2020, that fairytale is no more.
Just save for the PlayStation 5, folks.
