Sony is thinking about the PS6 and doesn't intend to bet everything on the cloud
, by Thibaut
For several years now, some observers have been saying that consoles are doomed to disappear. Cloud gaming, already widely used by manufacturers, could replace physical machines.
However, Sony doesn't see its future in this way (or at least as of now). When discussing the company's business strategy, Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, returned to this complex subject. While he believes that PlayStation now has several generations of expertise in the cloud, and that it is a viable option for gamers, he also acknowledges their attachment to "running games locally".
"Cloud streaming is progressing well from a technical standpoint, as we have demonstrated with [our] offerings, but end-to-end network stability is not in our control. And the higher cost per playtime compared to the traditional console model remains a challenge."
"Cloud gaming is increasingly providing an additional option for players to access content, but our belief is that the majority of players continue to want to experience gaming through local execution without dependency on network conditions. And PS5 and PS5 Pro have validated this thesis, I believe."
Of course, Nishino drew on the commercial success of both the PS4 and PS5 to support his views.
"While we cannot share further details at this stage, the future of the platform is top of mind. We are committed to exploring a new and enhanced way for players to engage with our content and services."
Source: videogameschronicle.com