$500 PS4, Vita Bundle Rumored for 2013 Release

Wherever the PlayStation 4 goes, the Vita seems to always tag behind. On its own, Sony’s portable device can be a bit of a tough sell. With a $250 price tag and too small a software library to sustain the majority of consumers, the Vita hasn’t sold nearly as well as anyone has really hoped. However, the remote play option and additional functionality the PS4 can add to the smaller device makes it seem more appealing, and a new rumor suggesting that both consoles could be bundled by the end of the year makes Sony’s strategy more sound than ever before.

This new bit of speculation comes from Inside Gaming Daily, which claims to have been told by a "well-placed anonymous source" that a bundle with both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation Vita will debut by "the end of the year" for "around $500." With the PS4 itself retailing for $400, that would cut the price of the Vita by $150. There is no evidence pointing to the standalone Vita package lowering in price at all, but if you’re interested in buying a PS4 and have yet to pick up a Vita, it would only make sense to choose this particular offer.

Sony continues to tout the wonderful functionality the two consoles have when used as a pair, so really, this would be a big step in the company’s plan to make their hardware easy to pick up as a couple. That would be two consoles for the price of an Xbox One, which would be difficult for Microsoft to top.