As we get closer and closer to E3, the rumor mills continue to churn over the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter recently chimed in his opinions on the selling prices of the next-gen consoles. He believes that the Xbox One will sell for $400, and the PS4 will launch at $350. He based his estimates on the total cost of materials for each console.
Pachter also noted that Microsoft may release a smaller, less expsneive model for buyers willing to sign up for a subscription plan.
"We believe the ability to watch live TV from a cable, telco, or satellite set-top box through Xbox One could entice an MSO to drive subscriptions through a subsidised box in exchange for a multi-year contract," he said. "The 'always connected' requirement for the Xbox One likely means that a broadband connection will be required, suggesting to us that ISPs may have an incentive to offer a subsidy as well."
His predicition falls in line with what the Xbox 360 was listed for at launch ($400/$300), and his PS4 estimate is markedly lower than the PS3's debut price of $600/$500.
Just one more week and we should know the official retail prices for each.
[Source]