Opinion - Do We Need Next-Gen?

Is a PS6 Delay a Good Thing?

There’s been a lot of talk around the next generation of consoles, as it should be, considering we are entering the sixth year of the current generation. Except this time, it’s different from what I’ve experienced in the past when we were approaching a new gen. Usually, this is the period of rumors, speculation, and wish-casting. Instead, I see gamers online celebrating the recent news that Sony may be forced to delay the PS6 due to the rise in memory and storage costs. It’s a far cry from the days leading up to the PS3 or even PS4. So why are gamers not in a hurry to start the next gen?

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PS5

The main thing you’re going to hear brought up is that the PlayStation 5 and the generation as a whole haven ‘t really felt like they have done anything. The system launched to supply issues, and it wasn’t until 2022 when the system started to become a little easier to find, culminating in 2023 being the year where it really felt like you could get a PS5 without any problem. This wasn’t a Wii-like issue either, where the demand was much higher than Nintendo anticipated; it was due to the chip shortage that came from the long-standing effects of COVID-19 that we are still dealing with to this day. Due to this, many gamers got the PS5 later than expected, including hardcore consumers who tend to be there on day one. I myself didn’t get a PS5 until 2022, and that was a game of luck by stalking their PS Direct orders.

It’s also been a disappointing generation when it comes to game-changing exclusives. While we have seen games like Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok, they are cross-gen titles also available on PlayStation 4. The output of PS5 exclusives has been pretty slow, and many feel it’s made the PS5 lack an identity. I wouldn’t personally say the generation has been disappointing because that belittles what indies and third parties have done, but I do understand the sentiment regarding the PS5 lacking an identity. We haven’t received anything new from Naughty Dog, and studios like Insomniac and Sucker Punch have released PS5 exclusives. However, I think the fact that they’re sequels rather than new IP is part of this thinking.

Also, there’s the fact that the graphical leaps are getting much weaker in recent generations. The leap from PS3 to PS4 was weaker than usual, and then from PS4 to PS5 was an even weaker leap. Because of this, we see gamers who just play Fortnite, Madden, or Call of Duty jumping to PS5 later or even just straight up sticking to PS4. So when PS6 does come out, is it even worth it when there’s a PS5 Pro? I’ve long believed the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X helped make the leaps to the current generation feel weaker. PS5 Pro has been disappointing, but if the 2.0 update is real, it can help the leap feel the same again.

Bluepoint Games closing is a textbook example of the issues with the industry

The State of the Industry

I have a hot take… the industry isn’t necessarily doing bad; it’s just in bad hands. The revenue and profits are there, but the expectations from the bigwigs are out of control. Combine this with larger issues the medium is going through, and it forms a perfect storm of problems that’s making gamers want a focus on the health of the industry rather than hardware. We just learned Bluepoint Games is closing, simply because they couldn’t come up with a live service title that Sony would be happy with. The rising cost to make games, the expectations, and the increasing costs for consumers are all factors that scare gamers and consumers in any new generation. Why make a purchase for a $500-$700 console and then have to spend $80 on games because studios can’t manage how much to spend when making a game that fits a profit return that makes sense?

Why release a new piece of hardware with issues if it can even be made at a pro-consumer price as tech becomes obsessed with AI over rational thinking, and then we are back to square one with the same problems anyway? I think many feel these problems should be fixed, and then we can worry about new hardware. Take that feeling with the weak leaps in generations, and you get more and more gamers who are happy to wait compared to the past.

We also have to deal with the struggles of the transition the industry is making that goes beyond costs and marketing. The ecosystem is taking over the console, and we recently received a report that shows AAA gaming losing the attention war for young men. These aren’t going to disappear because of a fancy new console. Everyone is impacted by this, including the recently released Switch 2. It just feels like there is a lot for the industry to address before any consideration should be made for any new console, whether it’s from Xbox or PlayStation. Switch 2 made sense because the Switch was starting to feel more and more aged out.

The Steam Machine

When Do We Need It?

So now the question is, if not now, then when? In my opinion, a lot of people tend to live in the now rather than the later, and we overreact. I’ve seen this in other areas of interest , especially when online people analyze election results. The AI bubble will eventually pop; even if parts of AI stay, the obsession will eventually fade. The tariffs won’t stay forever. Anyone who looks at the history of tariffs in the U.S. knows they have a tendency to be put in and then taken away due to backlash over costs. Eventually, costs will come down - not soon, but eventually. You also can’t wait forever for the AAA industry to get its act together, because it’s not happening overnight. If I’m Sony, I aim for either late 2028 at the earliest or late 2029 at the latest. Obviously, there’s a lot more at play that goes beyond our reach, such as deals with AMD and suppliers, but that’s what I think would make the most sense. I would caution as well that we will see cross-gen exclusives again for a few years into the PlayStation 6’s life.

However, Microsoft isn’t waiting. The next Xbox is most likely coming next year. Microsoft doesn’t care about console sales like Sony does, so they don’t mind launching a $1000+ system. So Sony does have to consider when it is too early and when it is too late. I’m landing on 2028 more and more likely as the release and sort of the true start of the “next generation.“ I think 2029 is pushing it, and 2030 is way too late in the grand scheme of things.

Either way, I think gamers need to sit down and think about where they are going, not just ecosystem-wise, but money-wise. My tip is to embrace waiting maybe a year or two before jumping to the new system. I know for many of us, that’s going to be hard due to FOMO or content creation, and in those cases, I suggest you begin saving a little here and there now.

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