The big question will be how much of a financial loss Sony will have to swallow on each box in order to get consumers to buy them.

The estimated total bill of materials for Sony’s next-generation game console will be between $725 and $905, according to various estimates. In comparison, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft comes with a component bill between $501 and $525.

Though Sony hasn’t disclosed the price of the PS3, analysts figure it will have to be in the ballpark of $299 to $399–the price for the two versions of the Xbox 360. PS3 pricing speculation has heated up in recent days, along with rumors that the long-awaited game console could be delayed for up to a year.