What should Sony do for the next Playstation?

[Manlytears]

EricHiggin said:

Manlytears said:

With all due respect, you have to factor inflation into the equation. $399 today is nothing. I mean, not even the Nintendo Switch 2 can beat that price, even with an extremely limited configuration and a terrible screen.

IMHO, in 2028, $599 will be the absolute limit for the PS6, and $499 would be the ideal price.

At a price of $499, they will be able to make something superior to PS5 for the living room and a handheld that will put the Switch 2 to shame in terms of power.

No offence or disrespect taken. Now my turn.

You're coming from a point of view, or understanding, that Nin is well known to be this super generous company who heavily subsidizes their hardware.

We all know Nin doesn't just like but aims to profit from their hardware, and as much as possible. So could SW2 be $50 to $100 less, or more, while still making a profit or simply breaking even? How much cheaper yet if Nin were to (heavily) subsidize SW2 on top of that?

We also know SNY is known to subsidize their hardware, sometimes heavily, even today, though they more recently say they try to at least break even if not make a little profit. PS5 was subsidized for at least 6 months, and possibly longer due to out of control inflation.

SNY could go the direction you've stated, where they try and surpass the OG PS5 and charge well over $500, but I don't think so. I'm more inclined to think that SNY will attempt to get close to OG PS5, combining both hardware and software tech, and will aim for a price that will get everyone who wouldn't buy a PS5 into the ecosystem. I think they very well might do this sooner than people expect, and will tie it directly to this gen, extending it until 2030 ish.

That means less than $499. SNY much prefers round numbers, and is unlikely to launch at $449, which would mean you're much more likely to see a $399 launch price. Assuming they only launch a handheld SKU. If they launch another console SKU, using the handhelds internal hardware, then maybe you'd see a $499 handheld and a new base $399 console.

SNY will subsidize if they feel it's worth it. Not only for the sake of the handheld hardware, but it would give the whole PS5 hardware ecosystem a tiered feel to it. It would make it easier for SNY to keep OG PS5 priced where it is, instead of dropping the pricing like they should, because if you want cheaper or can't afford OG PS5, then you could still get the handheld (hybrid) since it would be less and by a worthy margin.

I don't think $399 is enough for a next-gen PlayStation; I believe component prices will skyrocket (thanks AI), even considering Sony subsidies, the math won't add up.

That being said, I pray you're right! Wow, I'd be really happy with a PlayStation for $399.