Game Over. Remember Consoles?

Many PlayStation users are considering a switch to PC after Sony announced the end of physical games on its platforms.

A reader poll by Push Square, which specializes in PlayStation coverage, has shed light on how fans are feeling about Sony’s next generation console and it should raise alarm bells for the company. Nearly half of the 6,545 respondents shared that they’re seriously considering switching from PlayStation to PC. Meanwhile, only a mere 23% were intent on staying in the PlayStation ecosystem.

Far and away the biggest reason this group of players was looking at the PC was Sony’s recent decision to not support physical games beyond 2028, with 41% of respondents pointing to this as the reason for a potential move away from PlayStation. This was followed by being more confident in long-term game ownership on PC, which likely stems from the company having recently removed purchased shows and movies from users’ libraries.

It’s not just concerns about the future of game ownership on Sony’s platform that’s giving these users pause, though. Higher prices are a sticking point, too. When asked what they would do if the PS6 cost $1,000, only 14% of respondents affirmed that they would pick it up at launch. Most respondents say they will opt to either get a PC instead or just skip out on the next generation entirely.

Source: HotHardware

NB: There are big problems with reader polls. There is selection bias and the chance of dissatisfaction generating a response is higher than satisfaction. However, the bigger problem is that consoles are under persistent disruption pressure. Microsoft is laying off thousands in its XBox division. This problem was evident more than a decade ago.

The phone was a "good enough" gaming system and created its own demand and hence its own market. New genres and new generations of users grew up with phone gaming. The PC on the other hand was getting powerful enough to challenge the type of immersive games for high-end gaming (online massive multiplayer especially).

The upshot of it is that the App Store has overwhelmed the console business. The old platforms carry on but are increasingly appearing to be exhausted. User dissatisfaction and defection are inevitable.