Last week, Sony officially lifted the veil the new PS5 Pro the intermediate console that will attempt to offer the best experience possible to the players while they wait for the arrival of a potential PS6. An offer that is far from winning unanimous approval with players who are amazed by the price of the console (800 euros, without disc drive and 920 euros with drive).
This choice by Sony, by highlighting a console without a reader, raises many questions about the future of PlayStation and more generally video game consoles. For its part, Microsoft has just released a white Xbox series also does not present a reader. The only difference is that on the Xbox side you have no choice and no player can be purchased separately.
We increasingly feel that “All Digital” is becoming a standard in the video game sector (as was the case years ago with music, films and series). Therefore, the future of gaming consoles is numbered ? For Sony, no, the future of PlayStation will indeed be through new consoles.
PlayStation doesn’t plan to stop consoles
On November 7, the new PlayStation will be officially released around the world. However, unlike the PS5 (in November 2020) and the PS5 Slim (in November 2023), this PS5 Pro will not offer a double packwith a standard console and a fully digital console. The PS5 Pro will be available only without disk drive at 800 euros and you will have to pay an additional 120 euros to buy this accessory separately if you want to play your games and Blu-Rays on this console.
A choice that divides players and that clearly shows that digital is taking up more and more space in the video game industry. To reassure everyone, Hideaki Nishinothe president of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Platform Business Group spoke in an interview with Nikkei magazine. The latter confirms this Sony doesn’t plan to stop console production anytime soon video games:
“I think on mobile devices a lot of games show ads and computers are hard to set up. Whereas with the PlayStation, as soon as you turn it on, you can immediately enjoy the content you have purchased. The PlayStation Store also offers an intuitive experience, as products are presented in a way that is easy to read. We are trying to increase our share in the overall market by developing content for desktop as well. But there is no doubt that consoles will remain the core of our business, but by offering titles for platforms other than consoles, we will reach a wider range of customers. »
Game consoles that will remain “at the heart” of Sony and PlayStation’s activities. The real question now is to know until when and above all at what price?