The PS4 Slim price in India has been reduced yet again. Following September’s permanent PS4 price cut to Rs. 29,990, Sony has further discounted the PS4. Multiple retailers speaking to The Mako Reactor have confirmed that the new price for the PS4 Slim in India is Rs. 27,990. This is applicable for all bundles available in India. As always there’s a catch.

Compared to the September 2019 PS4 India price drop which was a permanent reduction, the new Rs. 27,990 price is for a limited duration. The date for the PS4 Slim availability at a reduced rate is from December 24, 2019 to February 29, 2020.

While lower prices are always welcome, it’s interesting to see Sony follow up one price drop with another in quick succession. Sources in the supply chain indicate that feedback from Indian game stores state that the previous price of Rs. 29,990 wasn’t low enough. Throw in little to no flexibility in terms of finance options like easy monthly instalments (EMIs) and it appears that Sony may have misjudged the Indian gamer’s appetite for the PS4 at its current price. We’ve reached out to Sony India for comment and will update this story if we hear from the company.

And while we’re yet to see Sony reveal finance options, the anticipation from game stores and industry insiders is that a second round of price cuts in recent memory may just help stem the tide. Though if we look at the pricing of the PS4 historically, Sony’s never really sold the PS4 for under Rs. 27,990 which makes us wonder if a Rs. 2,000 drop is enough.

PS4 price history in India

Naturally, Amazon India as well as Flipkart, and local retailers have been selling the PS4 Slim a bit lower than the new MRP for a few days now. When you consider parallel imports go for about Rs. 19,000 to Rs. 21,000 for the PS4 Slim while the PS4 Pro has been available unofficially for close to Rs. 33,000, it essentially boils down to how important a warranty is to you as Sony does not have international warranty on its consoles.

Why no PS4 Pro India price drop?

The reason for this is simple: the demand exists at the current price and Sony hasn’t been consistent with supply. For some retailers, the PS4 Pro makes up around 30 percent of all PS4s sold by them. So much so that those looking to buy the PS4 Pro were willing to pay upfront just to ensure they got one.

“The demand for the PS4 Pro has been through the roof,” a store employee told us under the condition of anonymity during a recent PS4 Pro stock shortage. “Customers have been willing to pay the full amount of Rs. 38,710 upfront as long as they get it this week.”

There’s been one recent discount for the PS4 Pro, though it’s more of a technicality. Current PS4 Pro consoles ship with a second controller for the same price of Rs. 38,710. While the PS4 Pro bundle price with a controller is the same as the standalone console, it’s safe to say that offline game stores could sell at a lower price if customers opt to buy it without a controller, which would bring the price down by a few thousand rupees at the very least.

PS4 versus Xbox One India install base

At the moment, the PS4 install base in India sits at around 425,000 versus the Xbox One’s 55,000 as per industry, retail, and supply chain estimates. With the difference between the two being what it is, Sony’s essentially competing with itself. As for Nintendo? Well, the Nintendo Switch isn’t available officially in India just yet, though it’s been gaining traction through grey and parallel imports.

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