SvennoJ said:
EricHiggin said:
They will certainly try if XB clearly starts backing off on future hardware and focuses on GP, but they can only push so far. They'll just find themselves in another PS3 situation or worse, with much poorer than is typical hardware sales, and they won't be able to just keep jacking up the prices of everything like now. It works now partially because of competition in the case of the console war, but if XB backs off enough or stops making hardware altogether, then there's no reason for really high PS hardware pricing other than offering hardware that is too high end and niche, or pure greed. PS gamers wouldn't just sit there and take it if there's no competition. All they'd see after enough time is corporate greed and if that time comes, SNY won't be able to just halt price increases or offer some discounts. At that point there would end up serious backlash and sales would suffer considerably because of things like social media and memes, something that was only in its infancy back during PS3. |
The PS3 sold at $300 loss, the price is that high now because Sony is not interested in loss leading the pro.
A comment on Eurogamer says it best
"They didn't want a mass market upgrade. They have plenty of data from the PS4 Pro and I suspect what their data says is that the Pro model was not good at capturing new customers, but was good at getting more out of existing customers - getting them to buy new hardware, getting them interested in buying more games, etc. So this time around the PS5 Pro is about selling the most lucrative of existing customers on a profit-driving piece of hardware, and one that hopefully will get them buying more games (and perhaps even prevent them from shifting their spending over to PC by "narrowing the gap"). In other words, it is about retaining "money is no object" customers, not about offering a mass-market upgrade."
And there are plenty that can afford and will buy a pro at that price. Remember the PS5 sold for more at launch via scalpers... You can blame them for setting the price people are willing to pay :/
PS6 will most likely start as a loss leading console again, less expensive than the PS5 Pro. Maybe with more difference between the digital and physical version next time. If the premium version still gets a disc drive. Otherwise their might be other differences like different tier storage space.
If the PS6 prices itself outside the mass consumer marker, a new competitor will have a way into the console market. So I doubt Sony will want to open that door. PS5 Pro simply isn't intended for mass market, just like the Dualsense Edge controller. And just like PSVR2, priced as an enthusiast product. |
Depends a lot on what happens with inflation, but also the companies profits and what they can "afford to lose".
If inflation doesn't change much either this gen needs to be extended to like 10 years, or PS6 ends up not enough of a leap in power for previous PS5 Pro owners and then what? A $499 PS6 at 20TF? The majority will be fine with that, but how does SNY sell that to those who bought a PS5 Pro?
I don't see SNY going back to loss leaders unless they're forced to by competition, and I also see that as unlikely after MS' failed attempts vs SNY.
