Sony now sells PS4 hardware and games directly, squeezes retailers

Sony opens up a new online storefront to sell console hardware, accessories, and games, putting even more pressure on retailers like GameStop.

Sony just opened up a new store that lets you buy PlayStation games, hardware, and peripherals directly from them. Sony is offering slight MSRP savings on console bundles, but you won't save on any games. There's a PS4 + PS Plus bundle for $339, and a PS4 Pro + PS Plus bundle for $429 (All in all these are meager discounts). Sony's store offers two shipping methods; a 2-business day free option, or 1-day express shipping for $10. PlayStation Plus subscribers get free express shipping on every order.

Overall this isn't exciting news, but it has some serious far-reaching effects. Sony is using the store to gear up for its next-gen PlayStation 5 in 2020, and we'll see exclusive promotions, offers, and discounts on the store.

Buying directly from Sony lets the company keep 100% of all earnings from each sale, so the company will offer nice little incentives to buy from them. We could even see exclusive pre-order content offered on the store, similar to those found on Amazon or GameStop. PS Plus subscribers can expect more freebies too.

Sony is obviously filling out its PlayStation business ecosystem with another purchase avenue--one that could be tremendously lucrative and attractive once Black Friday rolls around.

This new opening follows Sony's aggressive move to cull the digital games market. Digital PS4 games can now only be bought exclusively from the PlayStation Store.

The downside is that the games selection could be limited. Right now the PS4 game section is pretty thin and only really includes first-party games with the exception of Minecraft.

Another big red flag is Sony's notorious mishandling of credit card info. After the infamous PlayStation Network hack that saw users' credit card info and personal data breached, I'm very reticent to make purchases directly on the PlayStation Network or from Sony.