We always hear, mostly from MyGaming readers in the comments and forum, how PC games look and play better than their console counterparts, on high-end gaming rigs. Why then is a copy of Dragon Age: Inquisition more expensive on the PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360 than the PC?
Before we get to the reasons, let’s first take a look at just how much more a console game costs than its PC counterpart.
We visited a number of online retailers and from what we saw, Kalahari.com were the cheapest overall and had the most variety in terms of cross-platform titles – which gave us consistency when comparing prices.
Title PS4 Price PS3 Price Xbox 360 Price PC Price
Watch Dogs R 709.00 R 649.00 R 649.00 R 499.00
Fifa 14 R 699.00 R 549.00 R 549.00 R 339.00
Battleifeld 4 R 699.00 R 599.00 R 599.00 R 429.00
Sniper Elite 3 R 799.00 R 609.00 R 609.00 R 339.00
Dragon Age: Inquisition R 659.00 R 659.00 R 659.00 R 499.00
Thief R 699.00 R 679.00 R 679.00 R 419.00
Murdered: Soul Suspect R 749.00 R 679.00 R 679.00 R 419.00
So, a copy of Murdered: Soul Suspect on the PS4 costs R330, or 79%, more than the PC version. We spoke to local major video game distributors about what factors cause the price disparity.
Megarom Interactive explained the price difference in simple and concise terms. “Simply put, the main reason is due to PC games not being subject to Microsoft and Sony royalties.”
The royalties Megarom mentioned are what Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo charge the publisher for distributing the game on their system. These royalties, or licensing fees as they are sometimes called, push the price of the game up, and that ‘s why you pay more for your AAA console title.
MyGaming also contacted Ster-Kinekor Entertainment and Apex Interactive (distributor of EA games) for comment, but both failed to respond before publication.
So, there we have it console gamers – you can blame Sony and Microsoft for the price disparity. PC gamers, please try not to rub it in our faces.
