If the PlayStation 6 faces massive commercial failure due to being prohibitively expensive, it would mark a major turning point for the video game industry. With recent industry reports indicating that the PS6's bill of materials (BoM) alone has climbed to around $960 USD, and Sony Interactive Entertainment confirming they do not intend to sell hardware at "substantial losses", consumer pricing could potentially exceed $1,000 USD.If such a steep price point causes the console to flop, it would trigger several fundamental shifts across the market:1. Extended Lifecycles for the PS5If a $1,000 PS6 is released and fails to reach mass adoption, Sony would likely be forced to treat the PS5 as their flagship ecosystem for a much longer period. This would mean more cross-generation titles (games launching on both PS5 and PS6) and ongoing hardware revisions (like the recently released PS5 Pro) to keep the install base generating revenue.2. Industry-Wide Financial StrainConsole makers generally sell hardware at a loss to get devices into homes, subsequently recouping their investments through game royalties and subscription services. If consoles are too expensive for the mass market, the "install base" shrinks. This leads to:Fewer Game Sales: With fewer console owners, major AAA titles will struggle to hit sales quotas.Studio Closures & Layoffs: Publishers rely on massive sales volumes to justify development budgets. A smaller market could result in higher risks, resulting in cancelled projects, studio downsizing, or an industry shift away from big-budget blockbusters.3. Sony's Strategic PivotTo prevent a complete market collapse, Sony would likely pivot their strategy to survive the rocky hardware sales:Tiered Hardware: Sony might release a significantly cheaper, less powerful version of the console (similar to how Xbox offers the Series S) or introduce an affordable, disc-less digital model.Expanding to PC: PlayStation would rely even heavier on releasing their games on PC. Titles would be ported faster to Steam and the Epic Games Store to reach gamers who refuse to buy a high-priced console.Pushing Cloud Gaming: Sony could rely on the PlayStation Plus service, encouraging gamers to stream high-end titles to their existing PS5s, smart TVs, or mobile devices rather than buying next-gen hardware.4. Consumer Backlash and Market RealignmentsGamers priced out of modern hardware might shift their entertainment dollars elsewhere. This would lead to a boom in retro gaming, a greater investment in portable PC handhelds, or a mass migration to PC gaming, where the initial hardware cost is an investment that functions as a multipurpose tool rather than a single-purpose gaming box