Play Anywhere and a Nintendo Switch 2 console seem a nice combo now, right? After the resulting haemorrhaging of Sony’s entire popularity. A popularity built on trust from the PS4 era. Sony has decided to drop another nuclear bomb on what was one of its most popular things. ‘Allowing people to ‘own’ their physical software’. Sure, there has to be a realization that the industry is changing. I predicted three years ago that GTA VI would be a full digital release. This is just the way the industry is heading.
Now it’s going to be about who is the best company that serves the gamer for their own purpose. I think when you look at the Sony eco-system. You’re very much locked in and that’s very much the same with Nintendo. But at this point, Nintendo is a safer pair of hands than Sony right now in terms of what I have elaborated before. Xbox has the opportunity to now fully capitalise on their Play Anywhere program in terms of within their own eco-system, which in terms of being a digital focused world, it’s just friendlier than the other alternatives as of right now.
As for where Sony is going? I just cannot get behind it at all no matter how good their games are perceived to be. As a consumer. I want to see more digital protections being established if this is where the future is heading. Not only are we owed that as people who have supported these platforms since the 90’s. But at the same time, it just needs to happen because of the way we are being controlled as consumers. We need such protections. And that goes for any platform that people enjoy playing on where digital is ultimately the focus.
I stated in the past that I saw Play Anywhere becoming a big thing going into the next generation. It very much now has come to pass. Will that change the tide of battle with the consumer? Who’s to say, but looking at things, a consumer knows when they have a good deal. And this isn’t it, that’s why things need to change universally.
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.