A hardware market freeze could transform the industry forever | Opinion
Right about now is the moment when the console business should be getting one hell of a second wind. Six years deep into a hardware generation, with probably the most anticipated video game launch of all time just a few weeks out, this should be when the platform holders make hay, extending those mature install bases out into ever-wider audiences as fence-sitters finally pick up the hardware…
The hardware market appears to be entering a period of significant stagnation, with both Xbox and PlayStation suffering substantial declines in hardware unit sales. The average PlayStation sold this year has cost consumers $597, far exceeding the digital edition's launch price of $399 in 2020. Analysts predict a potential improvement in 2028, but given the steep pricing crisis, demand for gaming may shift towards alternative platforms.
The high cost of GPUs, such as the RTX 5090, which has been effectively discontinued, suggests this trend may extend for several years. This could lead to a greater reliance on existing hardware, such as smartphones, for gaming, thereby extending the dominance of Sony's PS5 install base advantage.
Written by urgent.news from GamesIndustry's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
