How Does Sony Respond?

There has been a lot said about Microsoft’s approach to Sony as we head into the next generation. How does Sony actually respond to Xbox having multiple store-fronts that will allow PlayStation games to be played eventually? The key word here is ‘eventually’.

There are a few things to consider here. Sony could keep pushing in the PC market with its games. Doing so though, could upset people. It’s a big gamble. Especially as when Sony launched the PS5 Pro and with the very impressive technology that comes with it. They made a statement for the future in how they want the best place to be the PlayStation family of consoles. However, they made a commitment to the PC as well. Surely, they’re not going to just want to pull on the hand brakes there. Especially when PC is another revenue stream for them? It would have to be inconsequential returns on investment for them to even think about that.

Not only that, but Sony has ported games over to PC and it’s been quite a half-assed approach in many ways – not without its problems. Not because they’re incapable of doing that as a strategy but mainly because within the company you would assume they’ll want to limit the future impact and control the narrative as well as keep things in house as much as possible.

In doing that, it isn’t without its risks either though. There has been a massive amount of play time for Xbox titles on PlayStation. Does Sony want to upset PC fans to a point of being unserious in their approach to support that platform? Does Sony really want to limit their potential to a console install base that only just catches up in the latter half of every generation? This could either strike fear into Sony or actually this could be something that opens their eyes to the potential of how branching out to audiences is of great benefit.

There are a lot of questions and a lot of things that need answering here. However, if one thing is true, Xbox games selling on PlayStation have shown that Sony holds the cards when it comes to technology at this point and favoritism as a brand. Their future is going to be one that’s very interesting, because they’re not going to want to devalue their platform but nor are they going to want to limit their potential either.

If they continue on route with PC releases. This allows Microsoft to take advantage. But even then, how much effect is this really going to have for Sony’s actual future? I don’t think it’s really going to matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s certainly not a disaster for Sony but it’s something they will be looking to limit the damage of or actually embrace.

After all, if Sony allows PlayStation Studios to publish their games on PC. There is a doubt if they would keep signing contracts to keep games away from Xbox. As it would be deemed irrelevant as they’d end up reaching the Xbox platform in some way anyway. If content is going to take greater relevance than ever before.

Then certainly Sony is going to want to protect theirs. They’ll want PlayStation fans buying through their store or they’ll have to accept that the ‘world is changing’ and evolve with the times. Ultimately though, whatever they choose to do is going to have an effect on them either way. It could mean that the next generation is more competitive from a store pricing point of view.

There has been many discussions about how digital shouldn’t be as expensive on these closed-ecosystems as they are. The fact that it’s taking Microsoft and this multiple-storefront ambition to change the tide towards any sort of competitiveness shows just how old and outdated the console stores of PlayStation and Nintendo of today are when it comes to pricing. Sure, many will say it’s nothing new because Steam has been around for years on PC. However, it is something new for consoles and it’s going to have a massive impact when you think about how much it could change the status quo for the better.

Sony could do with a win going into the next generation. The games are going to need to be there. That’s a certainty, but so is their willingness to be competitive in the way that’s good for the pockets of their own fans.