Khaberni - Traditionally, the life cycle of home gaming platforms typically extends to approximately 8 years before the emergence of a new generation. This was the case with previous generations of the "PlayStation" platform; however, what is occurring with the "PlayStation 5" devices in the recent years of their lifecycle—introduced 6 years ago—is considered a unique precedent, as demand for the platform skyrocketed in a way that led to its sell-out from several major stores.
According to the American tech site "Polygon", the situation is not only limited to the depletion of the platform's stock from stores, but also extends to an increase in its price by about 150 dollars, whereas usually the price would significantly drop as the end of its lifecycle approached.
All these aspects confirm that the current generation of "PlayStation" and "Xbox" platforms still have a lot to offer despite being launched 6 years ago and the approaching emergence of a new generation of platforms.
A Generation Surrounded by Crises
The Japanese company Sony first launched "PlayStation 5" devices in 2020 amid a semiconductor crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, thus the available stock of platforms in global stores was low.
Often, users had to register on waiting lists to be able to purchase their device, and although a single device was officially priced at 500 dollars, the sales price by users could reach up to a thousand dollars in some cases, according to the American tech site "Wired."
But with the end of the chip and semiconductor crisis, the situation has returned to normal and the platform is now being sold at its official price, with many discounts available more often than not.
Despite the stable price of the "PlayStation 5" for several months, Sony recently announced an unprecedented increase in the device’s price, reaching an additional 150 dollars for the standard model of the platform.
The reason for this increase is due to the high prices of its components, specifically the random access memory, according to the official statement published by "PlayStation" on its site.
High Demand
"Polygon" reports that the demand for specifically "PlayStation 5 Pro" has reached unprecedented levels that resulted in the depletion of stock from many major stores around the world, following the bragging by many users on social media platforms about acquiring a copy of it.
Microsoft also raised the prices of its "Xbox" devices due to the random access memory crisis, but it did not see the same level of demand.
"Wired" reports that this increase might also affect "PlayStation 6" devices if Sony attempts to launch them soon before the end of the chip crisis, as the main plan was to launch the new platform during 2028.
This requires acquiring major components and chips in large quantities in preparation for large-scale production of the platform, but amidst the memory and chip crisis caused by artificial intelligence, Sony might delay the launch of the next generation of platforms.
Continuing to Support the Current Generation
The price of "PlayStation 5 Pro" devices currently reaches approximately 900 dollars, following the recent price increase applied by the company, and despite the significant price hike compared to the previous price (700 dollars), reports indicate that the price of standard versions of "PlayStation 6" might be even higher, perhaps nearing a thousand dollars for versions developed amid the current memory shortage.
However, launching "PlayStation 6" devices at a price close to a thousand dollars or more could significantly reduce the demand for it, especially with the availability of cheaper options from competitors.
Sony realizes that launching PlayStation 6 versions at a price close to a thousand dollars could significantly reduce the demand for the platform, especially with cheaper options available from competitors, so it has decided to delay the launch of the next generation.
This leaves the company with one option, which is to continue supporting the current generation and developing games specifically for it until the memory crisis ends and prices return to normal, enabling it to launch the new platform at a reasonable price.
More Technical Power
It has been more than six years since the launch of the "PlayStation 5" devices, but this does not mean that the hardware of the device has become outdated and incapable of properly supporting games. The reason for this is the unique architecture used by "Sony" in the platform, as developers are still able to fully exploit it to deliver impressive graphical performance.
The new expansion that "Cyberpunk 2077" received for "PlayStation 5 Pro" is a live example of this, as a report published by the American site "Digital Foundry," specialized in analyzing game performance, mentions that the update enhances the game's efficiency and makes it approach the level of PC versions.
This confirms that "PlayStation 5" devices are still capable of supporting games well and with high efficiency, providing the company with an opportunity to delay the launch of the next generation of devices and benefit further from this generation.
