Last week, Sony officially unveiled the new PS5 Pro, the mid-range console that will aim to offer the best possible experience to gamers while waiting for the arrival of a potential PS6. A presentation that is far from winning unanimous approval with gamers stunned by the price of the console (800 euros, without a disc player and 920 euros with a player).
This choice by Sony, by highlighting a console without a player, raises a lot of questions about the future of PlayStation and more broadly of video game consoles. For its part, Microsoft has just released a white Xbox Series X, also not offering a player. The only difference is that on the Xbox side, you have no choice and no player can be purchased separately.
There is a growing sense that "All Digital" is becoming a standard in the video game industry (as was the case with music, movies and series years ago). So, is the future of game consoles numbered? For Sony, no, the future of PlayStation will indeed be through new consoles.
PlayStation does not intend to stop consoles
On November 7, the new PlayStation will officially be released worldwide. But, unlike the PS5 (in November 2020) and the PS5 Slim (in November 2023), this PS5 Pro will not offer a double pack, with a standard console and an all-digital console. The PS5 Pro will be available only without a disc player at 800 euros and you will have to pay an additional 120 euros to purchase this accessory separately if you want to play your games and Blu-Rays on this console.
A choice that divides players and clearly shows that digital is taking up more and more space in the video game industry. To reassure everyone, Hideaki Nishino, the president of the Platform Activities group of Sony Interactive Entertainment spoke during an interview with Nikkei magazine. The latter confirms that Sony does not intend to stop producing video game consoles anytime soon:
“I think that on mobile devices, many games display ads and that PCs are difficult to set up. Whereas with 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, because the products are presented in a way that is easy to read. We are trying to increase our share of the overall market by developing content for PCs as well.” But there is no doubt that consoles will remain at the heart 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 business. The real question now is until when and especially at what price?
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