If you hadn’t already seen or heard, the cost of securing a PlayStation 4 in Brazil come November is a pretty tough one to bear. Clocking in at around $1800, the PS4 can be had for essentially much more than the cost of a perfectly adequate and powerful gaming PC. So, aside from exclusives… why would you buy one?
Recently on the PlayStation Blog, Sony stepped in to try and set the record straight. Marc Stanley, the Sony GM down in Latin America, offered up an explanation as to why the cost is so outrageous, and according to him it’s got a lot to do with the Brazilian government and taxes and less to do with Sony itself. In addition to a 15.5% retailer markup on the new console, Sony also has to factor in a 21.5% “PS4 Transfer Price” of $390, which is essentially its full North American MSRP.
As for why this is happening and how Sony feels about it, Stanley had the following to say.
We have read thousands of your comments and heard your frustration loud and clear about the PlayStation 4 retail price of R$3,999 in Brazil. We want to emphasize that it isn’t in the interest of Sony Computer Entertainment America to sell PS4 units at this high retail price, as it’s not good for our gamers and it’s not good for the PlayStation brand.
It sounds convincing enough – is there any reason not to believe Sony in this case? There’s certainly no PR benefit to the high price (not to mention the fact that other consoles in Brazil aren’t exactly cheap), so unfortunately Sony probably just has its hands tied.
Stanley also noted that Sony will continue its discussions with government agencies regarding import taxes in an attempt to at least improve the situation, so here’s hoping the current massive number can be brought down, even if its just a little bit.