Sony’s next-gen PlayStation will go ‘beyond the living room’ - The Verge

Sony hinted in a recent Q&A with investors that the next generation PlayStation will offer some kind of experience that lets you play games outside of your living room. Here’s the relevant portion from the transcript, emphasis mine: > Q: 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. It’s worth noting that Sony already lets you play PS5 games on the go thanks to things like Remote Play and the PlayStation Portal streaming handheld. However, Bloomberg reported in 2024 that Sony is working on a new handheld gaming console, and it has added a Power Saver mode to some PS5 games that would make them ideal for handheld play. Given all that and this response from Sony, perhaps the next PlayStation console generation will include a more prominent handheld experience of some kind. The phrase “beyond the living room” also shows up in a response to a question about Sony’s thinking on hardware pricing, including for its next generation. That answer includes Sony saying that “we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses,” which, given the already-high prices of hardware like the PS5 Pro ($899.99), the Steam Machine ($1,049), and the upcoming new prices of the Xbox Series X (starting at $749.99), could point to an expensive price tag for Sony’s next generation PlayStation hardware. Here’s what Sony said there: > Q: Considering consumer behavior, could you update us on your current thinking regarding hardware pricing and profitability? For the next-generation platform, is it reasonable to assume that your pricing will continue to prioritize profitability of the hardware, as it does today? > A: First, we regard hardware as the base for providing the gaming experience, and by offering products such as the PlayStation Portal Remote Player (PS Portal), we aim to provide experiences tailored to users’ play styles beyond the living room, which has traditionally been considered the primary usage environment. As for pricing, it is not realistic for us to absorb all component cost increases, and we have already implemented some price increases outside Japan. At present, however, sales are proceeding as planned, and we do not believe this has led to a decline in customer demand. As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses. At the same time, we are carefully monitoring the market and continuing to evaluate our approach. We believe it is important for us to make every effort to ensure that customers fully understand the value we provide in relation to pricing. Sony hasn’t said when it plans to release its next-generation PlayStation hardware. The PS5 initially launched in 2020, and Sony historically has released a new console generation every six or seven years. If that pattern followed, there would be a launch this year or next, but the company has reportedly considered pushing back its next console launch to 2028 or 2029 due to RAMaggedon.