Okay, the gloves came off, the battle occurred and the dust has settled. Regardless of who you think the victor was between Sony and Microsoft if you intend to get your hand on one of the new beastly consoles there is only one thing that matters if you are an Aussie like me...
What sort of deal can we get.
Traditionally Australian's have had to pay a bit extra for out tech, and by a bit I mean markups that sometimes exceed 100% of the US price. I am not here to discuss that (and trust me, that has been a BIG discussion down under) but instead see what our leading retailers are offering and check out what other alternatives are out there. The official Aus dollar retail figures have been set at $549 for PS4 and $599 for Xbox One.
NOTE: Unless bundle packages are specifically mentioned you can be assured the retailer is only offering the vanilla package. Also Microsoft has pledged that all day one purchases will be the "Commemorative Edition" which includes a special controller and your very first achievement!
THE LOCAL OPTION
So without further ado, let's start with the major Australian retailers...
... or maybe not.
A check of both Myer and David Jones shows no listing for either console at this stage. Big W, Target and K-Mart all come up blank as well. That's not really a surprise since our main variety stores are not known for their fantastic tech offerings.
HARVEY NORMAN
The much maligned brainchild of our favourite anti-internet shopping magnate (unless you buy from his website) is probably the only variety store that has enough technological savvy to have an offering. So what does Gerry have up his sleeve...
Playstation 4 - $547
Xbox One - $597
Both have a guarantee that should the price drop you will pay the lower price. Additionally both can be pre-ordered with no deposit.
EB GAMES
Playstation 4 - $549
Xbox One - $599
Absolutely no other details about deposits or guarantees. They are however offering additional controllers for pre-order for both systems at $99 (even though the Xbox controller is a "placeholder entry")
UPDATE: You can pre-order in store with a $50 deposit, pay off the rest at your leisure.
JB HI-FI
Playstation 4 - $548
Xbox One - $598
As with Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi guarantees that if the price drops then you will be charged less, however the fine print makes for an interesting read. Even though they confirm that payment will not be taken before your order ships they will set up a "pre-authorisation" for the funds, which essentially means that the amount of the console will not be available for you to use on your credit card, paypal account or JB Gift Card. There are no details on the website about how it works if you walk up to the counter and request a pre-order without handing over details. I will add this information once I know!
UPDATE: Until the end of June you can pre-order in store with a $10 deposit. After the end of the month it goes up to $50. Pay at your leisure and you can cancel and get a full refund anytime. They'll also give people with pre-orders first preference for any bundle packages once they are announced.
DICK SMITH
Playstation 4 - $548
Xbox One - No information
Well either Dick Smith is hedging its bets early or I just checked before they got the info up. The PS4 link provides very little information and is "only available online". A click on the "Add to Cart" button takes you straight to the payment page though so it looks like they are happy to take your money as soon as possible.
THE ONLINE OPTION
So we have looked at the main bricks and mortar offerings, but how about the online grey import store alternatives. Well let's see shall we?
OZGAMESHOP
Playstation 4 - Not available
Xbox One - Not available
This really isn't much of a surprise as Ozgameshop deals more with games and accessories than actual consoles. Still, it'd be nice if these guys had something to offer *sighs wistfully*
KOGAN
Playstation 4 - Not available
Xbox One - Not available
Kogan (grey importer and re-brander extraordinaire) may not have anything on the site yet however a search shows both consoles as a suggestion. I am sure we'll hear more as it comes to light.
AMAZON
Playstation 4 - US$399.96. Amazon is also offering game bundles at $499.90 which includes either Battlefield 4 or Killzone with $10 off a PS Plus subscription (US version only of course) or $459.98 which includes either Knack or Watch Dogs.
Xbox One - US$499.96
Amazon also has a price guarantee, so if they end up selling the consoles for less then you pay less. Both consoles can be shipped to Australia for approx $25 with delivery time of 2-5 days, however this needs a BIG disclaimer.
** DISCLAIMER ** While the Amazon offer may be very tempting you need to keep in mind that you will still need to get a separate power cord as these will come with the US plugs. There is also no confirmation at this stage whether you will also need to worry about the different voltage level between US and Australia. Warranty is also an issue since the US warranty won't be valid in Australia. Additionally while the PS4 has been confirmed to be region free Microsoft has confirmed region locks will be in place on Xbox One, so you will have to get US versions of games, and has also hinted that consoles may not work with servers outside the intended geographic area.
THE WRAP UP
It's pretty obvious what the cheapest option is at this early stage and if you don't mind the warranty issues the Amazon can save you quite a bit of money.
On the local front it frankly scares me that Harvey Norman appears to have the best deals and friendliest pre-order options.
I will keep an eye on this and post updates as new information and offers become available. If there are any other details you would like me to look into then please post a comment.
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