Confirmed: PS2 Goes Sub-$100

Sony has confirmed that the US price of a PS2 is set to drop to below $100 as of tomorrow. Specifically, it will carry a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Currently, a new PS2 typically costs $129.99.

It was announced by John Koller, director of hardware marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America over on the PlayStation Blog following rumours yesterday. Explaining why Sony sees the move as important, Koller said, "Why is this so significant? Well most importantly, this new price means that more people than ever will be able to join in on the fun that so many of you PlayStation 2 owners have been enjoying for years" blah, blah-blah, blah... blah...

OK, so that was phrased as so much corporate gubbins, but Koller has a point. Getting below that $100 price point could well prove an important psychological factor in getting people to buy a PS2.

Frankly, if SCEA wants to keep selling PS2s, it needs a price cut. NPD figures for February show the PS2's US sales are down a whopping 220,800 compared to the same period last year.

UPDATE: Sony has also announced that it has cut the cost of the PS2 in Europe, bringing it down from €129.99 to €99.99.