Opinion: The PS6 Cannot Come Out in This Era of $1,000+ Consoles

What was once designed to be a relatively affordable yet high-quality entry point into the world of video games is simply no more: consoles can now cost as much as $1,000 at launch, and that's only for the most basic model.

This stems from the latest round of Steam Machine announcements, where it has been confirmed the 512GB version of the system will retail for £879 / $1,049 — and that's without the Steam Controller, whilst packing very little storage!

The price of video game hardware has always been on the rise as we have transitioned from one generation to the next, but with the current PC component shortages on top, the costs have now ballooned to such a state that the success and overall viability of these machines is being brought into question.

No matter how many flashy exclusives you have, no matter how much better current and future games will run, how do you realistically expect the standard consumer to upgrade to a PS6 in however many years time, at these kinds of prices?

It's not even about justifying the leap to one's self at this point — it's simply balancing such a significant purchase while handling the cost of living. Housing is up. Food is up. Fuel is up. The act of living is up.

I struggle to see how the PS6 can launch in this climate and be any kind of success like its predecessors.

Rumours surrounding the PS6 have pegged the console as a 2027 release, which is terrifying for all manner of reasons — and not just what I'm touching on in this article. There's a very strong sentiment amongst enthusiast owners the PS5 hasn't been pushed to its limit, and with an improving PS5 Pro on the market alongside few exclusives, I am inclined to agree. I want to see more from the PS5 generation, and a PS6 next year would leave a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

Luckily, there are suggestions of a 2028 — or even a 2029 — launch for the PS6. I'd be satisfied with the latter, but again, it comes back to the question: will enough of the world be in a position to afford the thing to where Sony can actually release it to some level of success? The worldwide PC component shortage doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

I'm sure PlayStation will have a strong marketing plan to promote a PS6, but with the current prices knocking around, will it all fall on deaf ears?

Single player exclusives have gone back to being exclusive to PlayStation hardware, and I'm sure this decision was made with the PS6 in mind. At this point, you're probably looking at a Horizon 3 on PS6, along with titles from a range of first-party teams and third-party partnerships for the big launch. Now those games won't appear on PC, the PS6 will have genuinely exclusive software you can't find anywhere else.

Alongside this, of course, I'm expecting a significant cross-platform period where PS6 exclusives are extremely few and far between — don't expect them to come from anyone but PlayStation Studios and its partners.