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Well, this week has certainly been a doozy! Sony's Playstation has been doing everything they seemingly possibly can to alienate users. First they say that they're closing down the digital stores for PS3 and Vita and in the same announcement state that, from January 2028, there will be no more physical games. Then, they issue a press release saying that PS+ is increasing in price.
Reading the Signs...
While I am all for players who want to purchase digital games on a closed platform (I've done it myself!) I've always been primarily a physical console game player and that's something which I always felt truly separated the console experience from PC - ever since digital on PC became the de facto distribution method. Prior to that, the benefit of console was "zero hassle" and "zero complications" and games which "mostly" just worked, combined with quite a large stable of exclusives - though that fell by the wayside pretty quickly in the late 00s and early 10s.
Now, just like everyone else, I'm wondering what "console" really is anymore. It seems to be: "pay more for hardware, games, and services; have an inferior experience; and have less choice; and very few exclusive experiences". The days of PCs being difficult to run on your TV or in your living room are long gone. Streaming of games from a powerful box in your home to a less powerful device in another room have been here for a decade and the experience has been improving year after year.
In that light, and in the light of the Playstation announcements, all of Sony's other actions (some rumoured, some announced) are making more sense. The move to stop publishing Sony games to PC makes sense because Sony now desperately requires those titles to bolster their anaemic prospectus for potential console buyers. Sony's declaration that they want to move beyond being linked to/associated with the living room seems to be a clear indication of the intent to launch a handheld PS6 or adjacent device.
"Q6. How can you bring back to the PlayStation platform users who migrated to gaming PCs during the COVID period? In aiming for profit growth, are there limitations on what can be done in the short term, or do you see the potential for more significant changes with the next-generation platform?
A. PlayStation has long been strongly associated with the idea of playing in the living room. However, in recent years, more users globally have been using personal monitors. In response, we are selling peripherals such as monitors and speakers to break away from the fixed perception that “PlayStation equals the living room” and to broaden usage scenarios. For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation. This includes not only technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room."
The interesting framing of this by the Sony executives gives me a strong feeling of this is a big deal - bigger than it might at first seem. Neither speakers or monitors are new for Sony. I've had a set of excellent Sony speakers for more than 15 years attached to my entertainment centre or PC. The INZONE brand was launched back in 2022 for monitors and headsets. So, why even mention those device segments when Sony isn't doing anything that they weren't already? That's not a response - it's a continuation and a reminder and also besides the point as selling peripherals under the SONY brand does not help Playstation one iota...
If we skip past that section, we see what I think is the important part: the confirmation of the handheld. The part that I am struggling with, though, is how having a secondary device that would need purchase would provide a "seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room".
If we look at one of the answers to another question (question 3) we see the same language repeated: "the value of our proprietary devices lies in the experience, not the hardware itself. As a dedicated gaming device, it provides seamless, immediate access to content - unlike general purpose devices, which involve multiple layers before gameplay.".
With that other context in mind, and a potential view into the mindset of the execs over at Playstation, requiring a second device to play away from the living room would be the definition of requiring "multiple layers before gameplay" can be achieved. So, what would be the solution to such a barrier? Well, the obvious answer would be to remove the barrier altogether...
Follow the leader...
This obvious answer has already been successfully navigated by another "non-competitor" in the gaming space. This path is now well-signposted and shows a clear path to reduced production costs and increased profitability per unit sold. Not only this but the Switch 2 has shown that technology is finally in place which can overcome lower system memory quantities and compute power; namely through upscaling and framegen, with industry reviewers and analysts claiming that the Switch 2 output can surpass a much more powerful and power-hungry system.
So, SONY and Playstation are here, sitting in the middle of the techpocalypse and with, as they appear to perceive it, a shift in player usage patterns, and a renaissance in playing field-levelling technology, whilst their primary competitor in the space implodes and appears set to launch an incredibly expensive device alongside whatever the PS6 is.
And how has Playstation managed all other challenges similar to this in the past? They pivot and undercut.
PS3 launched terribly - they cut that bastard back until it was cheaper and more reliable than the Xbox 360. The PS4 was more powerful and cheaper than the Xbox One. The PS5 was cheaper and more powerful than the Xbox Series consoles (in aggregate - matching Series S at launch, then later Series X after the price increases).
Playstation know that a $1000 base console is a non-starter. They have two devices in scope for the PS6 generation ecosystem. They can't both be called Playstation 6, the PSP and Vita brands are deadwood. The only logical play for the behemoth which has "won" the majority of console generations it's been involved in (not counting handhelds) is to scrap the expensive console and pivot to a Switch-a-like hybrid console which will win them back their precious Japanese cohort and allow them to target "the youth" that pride portability.
The technology is there to manage the upscaling to TV. AMD's next gen RDNA is scalable in its design - not a traditional APU. They can get this device out at half or two-thirds the price of the Helix and consumers will not be able to materially tell the difference on their 4K screens - just as they can't tell the current upscaled 1080p or 1200p images from real 4K output.
Make it make sense...
From this perspective, not releasing a standard living room console next generation makes sense. PS5 and PS5 Pro will continue to be well-serviced in the generational handover. There is no reason to provide a new static device to dispense content to a TV or monitor which will cannibalise the existing ecosystem. The PS5 ecosystem install base will be the primary target for developers over the first 4-5 years of the PS6's existence, thus the hybrid PS6 would be a complementary device which would encourage users to upgrade and exist alongside the static consoles.
The hybrid console makes sense: It's cheaper, has less memory and allows Playstation to carefully navigate the uncertain waters of the next half a decade without much risk.
The hybrid console can't take discs, so all purchases need to be digital, hence the reason for stopping production of the disc format. SONY can't backpedal on their choice to stop the disc format because there is no possibility of a handheld supporting discs... Whereas, the PS5 and Pro can support digital versions of cross-gen PS6 titles without issue (except for developer support).
Conclusion...
So, that's it. I believe we are at a point where I am now predicting that only the handheld PS6 will release - there will be no static, traditional style console. I don't believe that it really makes any sense for launch in the worlds of 2027 or 2028.
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