With the PS5 nearing its sixth anniversary, its current performance is more than sufficient. I have no intention of upgrading or chasing the performance gains of the PS5 Pro, especially given the current surge in hardware prices. Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida believes that many players likely share this view. His advice to Sony is to extend the lifecycle of the PS5 generation as much as possible.
In a recent interview with The Verge, he stated: "Sales of Sony and Nintendo's current-generation consoles have reached considerable scales, but due to rising hardware costs, both companies may consider delaying the release of their next-generation consoles. I believe they should try to extend the current generation's cycle, as players are very satisfied with their experience using the PS5 and Switch 2."
He continued:
Players' budgets are limited. Nowadays, the price increases for dedicated hardware components, whether for PCs or consoles, far exceed those of all other entertainment categories. Players who own a PS5, Switch 2, or a sufficiently powerful PC are likely to be content playing on their existing devices and may not consider upgrading...
I don't think there are many people shouting, "The performance isn't enough; we need more power." Developers feel the same way; I don't believe they are clamoring for such hardware upgrades. Therefore, I think this means that Sony and Nintendo's current-generation consoles will continue to perform well in the market for many years to come.
Back in the PS2 era, players had to worry about the laser lens in the disc drive aging and failing; shortly after the PS3's release, insufficient storage space became a common problem; and when the PS5 launched, the noise from older PS4 models was as loud as a ventilation duct. But with the PS5 generation, players have no urgent need to upgrade, especially if the next-generation console is priced as high as $1,000. Shuhei Yoshida indicated that if it comes to that, manufacturers like Sony might need to introduce contract-based installment purchase plans similar to those for smartphones.
"If the hardware is priced above $1,000 and bundled with related services, perhaps they could charge $300 to $400 per year," he said. "That's a $50 monthly subscription model. What do you think?"
That doesn't sound like a small amount. The key to the success of any new hardware lies in whether it can offer new features that motivate players to upgrade, rather than forcing them to replace their old consoles with next-gen exclusives. The original Switch proved that even hardware that isn't top-of-the-line can produce exceptional games. Plus, with the backlog of unplayed games on existing consoles growing, it's hard to imagine many people, aside from the most die-hard hardcore fans, rushing to buy the PS6 at launch.