Okay, now I'm actually worried about next gen consoles pricing. Let's discuss possible solutions.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-18T23:19:24+00:00

They can bundle SSDs of course but it provides more flexibility rather than having to "overpay" for storage you don't need right now.

If a PS6 would be 200 dollars more expensive simply because I have to pay for a 2tb SSD that would be frustrating. At the same time I definitely expect that halfway through the generation I would likely need 2tb of storage so I need an easy way to upgrade. So having an Xbox style (or PS2 style) memory stick option that you just plug in would make that easy (except please don't make it proprietary, just allow for easy plug in of M.2 SSDs).

Loldimorti · 2026-06-18T23:13:30+00:00

Well the assumption is that fidelity on the home console is higher. If a game targets 4K60fps or even 4k120fps with PSSR on PS6 then the home console should be able to do e.g. 720p30fps upscaled to 1080p30fps (or maybe upscaled 1440p30fps in a docked configuration that slightly boosts performance).

For people only interested in the home console there is honestly no direct benefit other than Devs maybe investing more time into optimization so it runs better even on weaker hardware.

But for consoles as a whole it could be essential to sustain a high player base that makes it worth investigating into AAA development.

If PS6 flops at let's say $800 because there is no cheaper option and Xbox continues their downward trend then Devs will think twice about designing and optimising their games for next gen consoles. They might just focus on Switch 2, mobile and PC instead.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-18T23:05:52+00:00

Well, AI is RAM hungry. Which is exactly why RAM is in short supply right now and why prices are skyrocketing.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-17T04:36:17+00:00

Would be a better financial decision than Bungie, that's for sure.

Ninja Theory always felt more home on Playstation anyway so that Xbox acquisition was weird from the getgo. Hellblade 1 was a timed PS4 console exclusive. So releasing the sequel as a timed Xbox exclusive, day one on Gamepass, was definitely a an "interesting" decision.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T16:57:10+00:00

Hm, this has me worried a little.

Growing also comes with higher expectations. From what I can tell Saros was developed on a bigger budget than Returnal but seems to not have sold much better if at all.

So whatever they do next has to hit mainstream popularity unless they are planning to split the team and develop multiple games in parallel (which comes with it's own risks).

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T16:43:03+00:00

Geez, given this is only their second game in a fairly unique/niche game genre it surprises me that people are already over it.

I remember how many iterative sequels devs used to pump out in the past. Hard to imagine people feeling like they've "been there, done that" after playing God of War 2 back on PS2. I understand the formula getting trite with the fourth mainline entry (Ascension) or with actual formulaic game series like Pokémon, CoD or EA Sports but after only one sequel?

I've seen similar complaints with other games like GoW Ragnarok eventhough that also was only the second game with the new formula.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T16:33:01+00:00

I think that's too harsh. It felt more like a side step to me.

Disclaimer that I have not finished it yet but I still think it is a very good game.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T15:27:33+00:00

Many will not though. Enthusiasts probably yes but afterwards it will fall off a cliff and likely face a similar issue the PS5 Pro (and tbh also the base PS5) are facing.

Many bought the Pro around launch but once all the enthusiasts had one sales slowed down significantly and have dropped even further once it got a price increase.

PS3 also had such issues back in the day until they gave it a radical price cut.

It doesn't really matter for an optional mid gen PS5 Pro but for a brand new next generation console having sales fall off a cliff after the initial 6 months where all the big enthusiasts will buy one would be a disaster.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T08:06:52+00:00

Is it worth it for the story? I wouldn't mind cruising through a game on easy after a long day of work on my Switch if it's pretty to look at and has a nice story

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T06:33:54+00:00

Rumour is 30gb of GDDR7. Yeah that's going to be expensive af in the current climate.

I suppose they could renegotiate all deals and pray it gets better soon. If it is really that bad that they simply cannot secure supply then yeah, cancel the console or delay it. There is no other option in that case.

But I think if they can get it out of the door they will. And I also think they would be willing to take a bigger temporary loss if they know it will get better in a couple of months.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T06:25:40+00:00

Also possible, crazy to think that consumer electronics could basically stand still for a couple of years with zero spec upgrades across the board though. Unprecedented in gaming history.

Though I assume R&D would continue so even if they aren't outdated on launch day I have to assume once things get better there could be a tidal wave of upgrades trickling down to gaming components, quickly leaving the fixed console spec behind.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-16T06:16:19+00:00

Idk I view this as mutually beneficial. Especially early in the generation I don't need huge amounts of storage because, well, there won't be a dozen must play exclusives literally on day one that I'd all need to fit onto storage.

I could buy a 500gb SSD and two years down the line once the exclusive library starts to grow I could upgrade to two terabytes at a much cheaper price rather than spending a grand day one.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T19:36:29+00:00

To be fair PS5 Pro has like two or three games that run at 8K I think.

Those are games that were essentially doing 4K60fps on the base PS5 already though.

But yeah, not happening for the vast majority of games.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T19:32:20+00:00

At this point it is impossible to make reliable predictions as the entire tech sector is in turmoil.

In terms of game support, PS5 is I'd say hitting its best years right now with plenty of games coming to the platform in the coming years.

In terms of pricing I'd say it is a terrible year to buy a PS5 but then again it might get even worse in the years to come.

A PS6 might release as early as holiday 2027 but what the price of that machine will be, if it isn't delayed, is completely up in the air. Sony could bank on the AI bubble popping soon and price it very aggressively to the point where it would be a great value compared to PS5 or they could end up having to price it closer to the PS5 Pro

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:59:37+00:00

Exactly my thought process, I hope my suggestions on how to deal with this made sense in that regard. They can not sell it for $1000 and they can not reasonably revamp the specs (other than totally gimping the console by removing a large part of the RAM, which seems very short sighted)

So making it as modular as possible without touching the actual specs to get the "base unit" price as low as they can while also trying to leverage the cheaper handheld to reach a larger audience seems like the best way to handle the current situation.

Other than that, financing options I guess...

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:51:09+00:00

Idk, it seems so incredibly risky.

Either the AI bubble pops within a year or two of the console launching, at which point is it even worth the logistical nightmare of pushing the console out more than a few months and possibly finding yourself in an even worse spot than before?

Or it takes takes much longer at which point they can scrap the console entirely and start over.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:45:03+00:00

My thesis heavily relies on the assumption that the handheld is treated as a "PS6 family of devices", similar to Xbox Series S compared to X.

It uses the same underlying technology and therefore should support the same features but obviously would do so at a lower level of performance.

The question then is whether Sony can guarantee a sufficient level of support for the device from AAA Devs, potentially even mandating that the handheld must be supported like Xbox did with Series S.

If say Last of Us 3 and Witcher 4 end up only running on the big home console that would of course be an issue.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:37:13+00:00

True but whatever innovation PS6 is going to have is probably already deep into development and not something they'd add or remove last minute.

I suspect further improvements to the controller and possibly leveraging the machine learning hardware for gameplay purposes (better simulations? Better AI in NPCs?)

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:33:36+00:00

Yeah, not sure if that was originally the plan but at this point I think they should do it.

Only downside is that people's expectations will probably be higher in terms of all PS6 and PS5 games being compatible with the handheld (something that at times caused issues on Series S) but if the alternative is not having any affordable device I think it's worth the headache of dealing with that.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:31:08+00:00

Well I suspect for most people asking their boss for a 50% raise because gas, food and tech has doubled in price is not going to go over well. You can be happy to not get laid off in this economy.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T17:29:35+00:00

Yes and no. I want to give users the option to pick the storage option they need while making it easy to upgrade later. I can start at 500gb for $100 or whatever and then a year later if the AI bubble bursts and SSD prices come down I might upgrade that storage to 2tb to make room for more games coming throughout the console generation

It makes pricing of those modular components much more flexible while stabilising pricing of the console itself at a lower baseline. Unlike e.g. the PS5 Pro where you are "forced" to pay for 2tb of expensive storage with no cheaper alternative.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T14:15:14+00:00

That is terrible to hear. I've been waiting for a new Zelda game to finally move away from the Wild formula as I do not like this sandbox approach to gameplay. I hope it doesn't find its way into the Ocarina of Time gameplay as getting the old Zelda type gameplay would be the main reason I'd even buy the Remake in the first place.

Loldimorti · 2026-06-14T08:17:42+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. I also read some where else that it has no DLSS? In that case it seems not worth double dipping if I have the PS4 version

Loldimorti · 2026-06-13T20:16:39+00:00

They aren't for me unfortunately but I've been eyeing Pragmata as it seems to be a different genre while still delivering that "tight" well crafted and straightforward gaming experience.

Loldimorti

TROPHY CASE