So far, 2019 has been a year of speculating, both about the next generation of hardware as well as how the introduction of streaming platforms will change the future of gaming as a whole. With new consoles confirmed from both Microsoft and Sony, likely to launch in the next fiscal year, the latter’s CEO shared his opinions on the future of Sony hardware.
While he’s been with the company for over 25 years, Jim Ryan has held the position of CEO of Sony’s PlayStation Division since just April. Even though he’s been around since the beginning of the company’s foray into video games, the now rapidly changing landscape of the games industry is forcing the company to adapt in ways it never has before. Whether or not these changes will correlate with how Sony handles hardware after the likely named PlayStation 5 releases, however, is something Ryan is unsure of.
Ryan specifically mentions a “new entrant” into the gaming space, that being Google Stadia. Just a couple days ago, the curtain was pulled back on all the details pertaining to Google Stadia, which launches in November for those buying the Founder’s Edition of the streaming service. Given popular games, such as Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and the upcoming Doom Eternal from id Software and Bethesda, will be playable when Stadia launches, there’s a level of support from AAA developers that portrays a gaming future Sony can’t afford to ignore.
“The transition (into the next console generation) is probably gonna be more interesting than any other we’ve seen in the past.”
Some of the changes Sony’s been forced to make range from detailing key features for the upcoming PlayStation 5 well in advance of its release, as well as further enhancing current services as the company gears up for the console’s eventual launch. Back in April, Sony offered a deep dive into the PS5’s specs, with faster loading times and backwards compatibility with PS4 games being the most significant details. With it’s then streaming-only service PlayStation Now, subscribers now have the ability to download PS2 and PS4 games from PS Now onto their PS4 hard drives, which is a direct response to how Xbox handles its Game Pass service.
Another feature in discussion for PlayStation 5 includes cloud gaming. In an effort to further enhance the feature for next-gen, Sony and Microsoft have teamed up to help both parties optimize the service for their respective platforms. This appears to be how both parties plan to compete against Google Stadia, which looks to push for better on-the-go gaming experiences through its own streaming service.
While the company has been forced to adapt, thanks to its biggest competitors, Ryan was quick to point out this isn’t the first time the future of console gaming has been put into question. Back in 2012, Ryan reflected on how analysts predicted the PlayStation 4 would fail thanks to the rise in mobile gaming. Seeing as how PS4 is nearing 100 million units sold, Sony has proven its ability to adapt in the past, and it appears to be doing the same for its future.
There is currently no launch date for PlayStation 5.
Source: CNET
