twintail said:
| KBG29 said:
Consoles have semi traditionally been a single spec through the generation, but there are plenty of examples of that not being the case as well. More recently, having multiple sku's has become the norm. With PS Vita you had the Wifi and 3G model, 3DS had the base and New 3DS, with PS4 we had the Base and Pro, XBO had Base, S, and X, and now Switch has the Base and the Lite (and likely more to come).
Industries change over time. Look at the iPhone as a recent example. It started off as a single spec device, then they slowly launched more and more options. Now we have 3 iPhones launching simultaneously. This has only happened over a 12 year period. Consoles been playing with multiple offerings for almsot a decade now, going back to DS. Consumers are a lot smarter than people want to give them credit for. They can tell what iPhone or Galaxy model is right for them by watching YouTube or looking at model in the store, or just good old fashion research online. These people will be perfectly capable of discoverying what PS5 is right for them.
TV's don't have publicized generations, but there is a lot more to the cycle than yearly updates. If you watch TV's closely, most manufactures have a good 3 - 5 year life cycle where it is mostly iteration on the same thing. With so many competitors each gen is not as clear cut as in consoles, but they actually follow a very similar pattern to consoles. The sheer volume of TV's a range could be simulated with the consoles as well. The Base PS5 could come with a 1TB SSD for $499.99, 2TB for $599.99, and 4TB for $699.99, while the PS5 Pro comes with 2TB for $999.99, 4TB for $1,099.99, or 8TB for $1,299.99.
I'm only going off the idea that they are launching a Base and a Pro, and will keep it simple at launch, but their is no reason they couldn't do the multiple SSD sizes, especially if the SSD is non user changable. My overall proposal doesn't stop at just 2 options though. I do believe that as the generation progresses, and 5nm and 3nm fabrication becomes available that new high end models should be offered while the low end models take advanatage of the shrink to drop in price.
At a simple level of 3 SKU's by 2023, I would look at something like PS5 Base $399.99 (Dynamic Resolution and Frame Rates upto 4K/60), PS5 Pro $699.99 (4K/60 in every title), PS5 Platinum $999.99 (Dynamic Resolution and Frame Rates upto 8K/120). Then moving to 2026 and 3nm, you would have the Base PS5 at $299.99, Pro at $499.99, Platinum at $699.99, and PS5 FE (Final Edition) $999.99 (Native 8K/60 or 4K/120 on most titles). That would give a good amount of options depending on what supporting tech the consumer has. Someone with a 4K TV should never even be considering a Platinum or Final Edition, and someone with an 8K TV should have no interest in a Base or Pro model. If an 8K TV guy doesn't care about 8K gaming though, and a Pro with 4K/60 will do the trick, then they can grab that PS5 Pro for $499.99 in 2026 to go with their new 8K TV. Then you have the kid getting the old family 1080p Family Room TV while the Family room gets a new $400 4K Model, and that kid can look forward to a $299.99 PS5 Base model for their birthday or christmas.
I don't know what to say about the lack of vision for a market of people wanting a $999.99 Ethusiast level gaming console. I guess it might sound crazy right now, but who thought there would be a market for a $999.99 Phone 10 years ago, or who thinks there is a market for a $3,000 Walkman right now? There are billions of people out there. It only takes a few million to make a successful high profit margin, enthusiast level product. Tie it in with something that already has the OS, Software, and R&D covered, and it is no more than free money from those willing to pay.
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These examples don't work imo.
Multiple SKUS in the past have either launched at different dates, or not been so wildly different in price, or been so different in specs.
Phones offer such functionality that buying into a premium brand is a very real thing. Sony weren't the first to enter the high end portable media player market, and the hi res audio market actually exists and clearly allows for good margins.
Where does the market for a high-end $999 console exist? And why would Sony want to try make that market against a popular Nintendo and a fighting ready MS?
Sony needs consoles to sell so ppl buy into their PS Network ecosystem: that is where the money is, not only some niche, extremely high priced console.
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It is about progress, and changing times. The past doesn't dictate the future. We can look at the past for lessons, but we always have to be ready to try new things, and re-try new things we have failed at with the knowledge of our failures. You can not lead by standing still. When your at the top it is even more important to inspire new ways to continue to grow or maintain your position.
Console are becoming more and more like the Smartphone of the Home. With the standard SSD in them next gen, and the instant laoding, I expect them to become even more prominent in daily use outside of games. Being able to bring up apps on the large screen instantly, and swap between apps, games, and media with even less effort, will only expand the use of the devices. That will continue to grow the value they hold, and increase the amount more people are willing to pay, for the best experience.
There is a high end gaming market already with the PC, however, it is a market of force, and not choice. I know many people who have dabbled in PC for the extra power and went back to console due to the user experience and unified approach of everything. There are many people that would love the power of a PC, but have never invested in a PC, because they already know they are not interested in that enviornment. Of course, just like any Enthusiast level market, it will not be a massive pool of people, but that is why you don't sell these types of products at break even.
At the end of the day it would still be all about getting PlayStation's into peoples homes, to get people using Sony's OS and Store Front. By having a wider range of products, they open the door to more potential buyers. By having a high end product with a larger profit margin, not only do they make money off the software from their top 10% of users, but they also add a sizable chunk of profit on the hardware from these users as well.
Ultimately, as time passes, the ideal thing for Sony would be to sway more and more consumers to the higher margin PlayStation Models. That way they are making more money off of hardware, which even if they only sold the same amount of PS5 vs PS4, it would result in revenue and profit growth, which is what the stock holders are looking for.
If they go this route, we all win. Gamers, Developers, Sony, and the Stock Holders.
RaptorChrist said:
4k/60 with every title?
That's not how hardware works. Devs may still use the extra power for better visuals at the cost of framerates. And finishing the gen at 8k / 120? This seems insane. |
Yes, it is always the devs choice, however, there are only finite resources. So at some point there has to be a line drawn. The base PS5 would be that line, leaving any higher end PlayStations being mainly focused on improving resolution and frame rate. If the base PS5 is aiming at 1800p - 4K and 40 - 60fps, then the Pro should be able to make that titles Native 4K and Locked 60 FPS.
I don't believe 8K/120 would be possible, but either or will definitly be. By the time we reach 3nm, 8K/60 should be achievable or 4K/120. The Base PS5 should be able to play a lot of games at 1080p/120 from day one.
With 1080p being a viable resolution on large displays, I believe we will see the option to play in 1080p/120 in a lot of titles. The Performance/Quality/Resolution modes we see in some games now, should become more standard in next gen consoles.
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