Recent comments from Shawn Layden have put the future of consoles in doubt. Personally, I always think the hardware will be around but I think we’re going to see hardware that takes advantage of the cloud for it’s computing power a lot more. I think that’s a distinct possibility while also allowing local play because technology is changing all the time. I think we’re going to see a different form factor for consoles of the future.
We have already spoken about how PlayStation will be battling it out with Xbox for content. With the news that From Software is a distinct possibility for acquisition. I think what that tells us is that Sony is going to take advantage of the position they are in as the leading market leader. They cannot match Microsoft for cloud infrastructure but what they can do it match them for content. The industry is changing, we know gamers are enjoying more portable experiences these days. But at the same time, Sony’s ambition I believe is to finally get their console experience on PC.
I think the next step for PlayStation will likely see full integration of their platform on PC to match Microsoft’s ambition there. Sony already has PC gamers logging in, it’s going to be about how they better integrate that into their core experience. If anything, Sony will not want to be left behind if consoles are seen as tailing off in terms of usage in the future. Branching out is the best possible outcome for them because it allows them to take the PlayStation experience and maximise the reach of how far their content goes.
We’re still a way from this happening but I think Sony are already dipping their feet in uncharted waters.
Written by Craig Clark
From gaming industry headlines to all things Manchester United and entertainment, Craig covers the stories everyone's talking about — alongside his own published works.