PS5 Pro is expected late 2024, with the PS6 expected 2028. If Microsoft is to try to keep pace, as someone who doesn’t have either console, it will be interesting to see if they also brand this as a mid-generation refresh or if they stick to their guns they’ve been touting for a while of being “beyond generations”.
2028 it is then.
I tried buying the PS5 when it released, and couldn’t get my hands on one for nearly a year. Then I saw the content lagging and decided not to buy the PS5. I still don’t see why I would want a PS5 today. I got a fairly decent PC, so that can carry me for another 5 years or so
If the content cadence for PS5 is not to your tastes, I don’t see it getting better in 5 years. Games the size that Sony is making don’t get made quickly.
It’s mainly because the titles are being released on pc anyway (with some delays)
This is the big thing. There’s been a few games that have released on PS5 that had me considering buying the console (Ratchet & Clank RA, Returnal, Final Fantasy 16) that have tempted me, but they’re all either already on PC or coming in the next 2 years. Why would I buy a console if everything on it is gonna get ported eventually anyways?
A reason I might buy a console used is because certain titles, like Nier Automata, were poorly ported to PC. I love that game, but the Steam version crashed a lot for me.
There’s a fan made patch that fixes the major problems of the port. I played it totally fine using that.
It actually did end up getting a patch years later
I played before it though with I think the far mod and had no issues. Never bothered trying to play without the mod.
Obviously it varies from person to person but Sony exclusives would be the main reason most people want to be in the PlayStation ecosystem. As others have said even when those exclusives do eventually reach PC, the ports are usually lackluster at best and unplayable at worst. So why upgrade to the 5 if you have a 4? For me the difference in load times alone justified early adoption. Probably not everyone can justify the cost and hassle just for faster loading of their PS4 library, but as someone whose time is at a premium and who still tries to play a lot of games often, I have probably saved countless precious hours of time and therefore played far more of my gaming library in the same time frame just be being on the 5.
I feel Sony exclusive console draw no longer holds a much weight as it used to for PC gamers. In the past I “knew” Sony games would never ever come to the PC, so it was to only way to play them so I got them. Now I just have to wait, and I never buy games at launch either and never bought consoles until the exclusive library could stand on its own without taking into account future releases so I ended up getting consoles mid Gen or end of life anyways. So being first mover on the console never mattered to me.
The thing is I don’t think Sony cares about peeling PC gamers away anymore for exactly the reasons you said; they just release most of their games to PC eventually anyway. But PC gamers and console gamers are not the same market. There are certainly people who play both, but I rarely play PC games anymore because my whole gaming setup is centered around the couch with family now. I simply don’t have time to also park myself in front of a PC and game that way as well, and as far as purpose built PCs that connect to a TV go, well, none of those bring the same features for the same cost the way the PS5 does. Pretty much the only PC gaming I do now is on Steam Deck and those games are chosen for playability on the go. So you’re not really comparing Sony exclusivity to PC at that point, you’re comparing it to Xbox. And between the two Sony wins on exclusives so far this generation.
Lackluster at best isn’t really accurate, most of their ports have been more than functional and usually get performance patches. Alot of these issues are also poor optimization more than anything which means alot of issues can often be brute forced with stronger rigs so it adds value to upgrading whenever its time for that.
The issue is the consumer who is most likely to consider buying a console doesn’t want to have to worry about waiting months for a port and then another several months for performance to be fixed, nor do they want to pay for a very expensive gaming PC and then regular hardware upgrades to play new games. As I was saying to someone else, Sony isn’t really competing for PC gamers. They’re two different markets and Sony knows this which is why they do release a lot of their games to PC eventually. But for people who want to play Sony games when they are relatively new and active, either to experience the story with others and avoid eventual spoilers, or to play in an active online community that may not last, waiting for a functional PC release isn’t worth it, especially at the higher cost it brings to have a decent one compared to a console.
It’s ironic - I was a playstation gamer, but bought a gaming PC figuring I would mostly use it for xbox exclusives after they bought up all those companies before this console gen started. Then it was so impossible to get a PS5 where I live that I got so frustrated I’ve written off getting one and have started PC gaming exclusively. I’m so fed with Sony and their BS that when a friend asked if I would get a PS5 now that they’re somewhat available, I was like, “lol nope.”
Meanwhile, not a single thing I’d want to play has come out yet on xbox, which was the whole reason I got a PC to begin with.