What should Sony do for the next Playstation?

[EricHiggin]

Otter said:

Yeah I don't see there being a value in having a short PS6 generation or flooding the market with more hardware.

Likely the revision Sony is talking about is their pricing model. I don't think the internal hardware is changing. Even a PS6 lite is probably too expensive at $600 if still has 24GB of RAM. I now agree with DF that I don't they will bother make a lite version which would not be notably better than the PS5. The handheld hybrid is the light ($599). Removing all the handheld bits will shave off $99 maximum, not enough to justify for essentially a PS5 level experience, might as well just sell those same people the actual PS5.  The alternative hardware is the full fat console ($799) - both sold at loss of like $50 or so.

I suspect Sony will explore new Hardware as Service or contractual models where DRM enforces a monthly payment for those who can't buy a PS6 outright.

So starting Price becomes low, like $199 followed by a $29.99 per month contract (24months) which includes the basic PS+.

Additionally more monetisation like in-game ads

A subscription pay as you go hardware model won't work. I can tell you right now, none of my gaming friends would sign up for that. Most already don't like PS Plus, at least ever since SNY added tiers and kept jacking up the prices based on 'added value'. Paying for it in full once a year was borderline as it was, and that's for a digital service. Most my friends only pay it to be able to play online. They don't even care about anything else Plus offers. I and a few friends have cancelled our Plus subs this year. I've been signed up every year since about 2012. XB has been trying this for a while and it hasn't been working for them either. 

SNY should be able to shave $100 off the PS6 Handheld with a PS6 Lite console, but that's at cost to manufacture. SNY should then subsidize the PS6 Lite by $50-$100. This way you end up with something like a $399 PS6 Lite and a $599 PS6 Handheld.

Either that, or subsidize the handheld $100 so it's $499 and don't bother with the PS6 Lite at that point if SNY doesn't want to. Problem with this, is that all those PS4 gamers didn't upgrade to PS5 at $499, so what makes SNY think they'll upgrade to a PS6 Handheld for $499? How many potential new consumers could SNY attract with a $399 PS6 Lite instead?