The former chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios has cast doubt on the PS6 being a completely digital console, believing it would be ‘hard’ for the format holder to wave goodbye to physical media for its next system.
Chatting with KiwiTalkz, Shawn Layden responded to comments from host Reece Reilly that Sony could probably get away with launching the PS6 as a discless console, but the former Sony executive wasn’t entirely convinced.
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Well, actually I don’t think Sony can get away with it now. I think, Xbox has had more success in pursuing that strategy, but Xbox is really most successful in their business in a clutch of countries: US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Sony, which is the number one platform in probably 170 countries around the world, has an obligation and responsibility to say that ‘If we go discless how much of my market is not able to make that jump?’ Can uses in rural Italy get a decent connection to get enjoy games?
Layden then pointed to the fact that PlayStation is popular on military bases where you can’t get Internet connection, as well as for athletes who like to take their consoles with them to hotels while waiting for their next game.
Sony’s market is globally so huge, that I think it will be hard for them to go full discless even for the next generation.
Sony hasn’t yet announced the PS6 yet – after all, the PS5 hasn’t been on the market for five years at the time of writing – but there’s been plenty of chatter about the new console.
Recently, it was reported that the next-generation machine is likely to use AMD’s 3D stacked chips, with the console apparently well into production with the chip maker at this point. Sony is also reportedly placing high importance on backwards compatibility for its next home console. In terms of cost, analysts have already predicted that the PS6 will retail for at least $600 when it arrives, which is probably around 2027/28.
[Source – KiwiTalkz]