PS5 price increases prove that console generations are truly screwed, if they’re not already dead

The recent PS5 price increases have proven that the old format of console generations are no longer viable for game companies.

[Lightning77]

It's greed. Next gen prices aren't gonna be much better. I won't be surprised if next gen games are at 80. Then Sony, MS and other devs will do the usually PR of the most powerful console ever or fastest SSD or whatever to "justify" the price hike.

They'll further push ppl to PC.

[Tacoboto]

"It's greed"

Oh. Please do tell us how. What components are getting cheaper?

"They'll further push ppl to PC."

Oh. Ok so Nvidia and their pricing is not greedy, then?

[shaenoide]

Companies making billions of dollars in profits every year is more than enough.

[rokos]

Another comment on the topic pointed out how how when the PS5 launched the NVMEs of this size were around £200 and now they are around £60 moreover they are using the old 7nm nodes for the CPU and GPU are getting cheaper with time and not more expensive. Both AMD and Nvidia are manufacturing their GPUs on the 4/5nm for a second generation. That is about the components
The push to PC might happen by pushing people to spend the money they would have for a console to make their PC better since most people have a PC or a Laptop. Then those people could take advantage of the more competitive nature of the PC ecosystem (Stem, GOG, Epic) and free online multiplayer. I don't think that would be a large number though.

[Lightning77]

Why aren't the components going down? Why are the components rising in cost?

Why are Nintendo prices going up, PSN prices going up and the inevitable GP price gonna go up?

[Cacabunga]

Console gen will die when console games die. We are in a slow curve but not close to claim death of console gen

[senorfartcushion]

Yeah - it's still greed.

Don't be naive.

[Profchaos]

Exactly this gpus have trippled in price since the 20 series

CPUs have gone up

PC games still cost just as much as console games on sale

PC gaming is not some magic realm where you buy a GPU and get every game for a fiver.

I would still be a pc first player if it was

[TheEroica]

The complicit folk like this comment above are what ruin the hobby.... Apologists claiming it's not the corporations fault, it's your fault.... Gross. These people are the ones buying junk at premium prices and slowly bringing the hobby to its knees.

[Reaper22_]

I guess some people are saying if you're paying PC prices for consoles you might as well just buy a PC.

[Tacoboto]

"The complicit folk like this comment above are what ruin the hobby.... Apologists claiming it's not the corporations fault, it's your fault..."

If you want to bury your head then that's your choice but I think gamers also need to be held accountable for the environment they've curated.

Like, I certainly didn't teach Sony any pro-consumer lessons by buying the $200-$250+ collector's editions of TLOU Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and the discless GOW Ragnarok Jotnar Edition. What are PS5 Pro buyers teaching them buying a $700 console without a disc drive?

What lesson has Nintendo learned, with MK8 DX selling some 60+ million units, no price drops on Switch hardware, while selling defective joycons for 8 years on their most profitable hardware platform?

What about Microsoft and Xbox, what lessons should they take away from practically giving their games away, to declining/flatlining hardware sales?

Once you think about that, I encourage you to then factor in the reality of the ever-increasing-costs of hardware production, shipping, tariffs and taxes, and the salaries of those they employ...

[generic-user-name]

Yeah I hear the new 50 series nvidia gpus are very affordable.

[Games_People_Play]

Nvidia isn’t the only GPU manufacturer out there. In fact, IMO AMD is killing it now with CPUs and GPUs. There is also Intel now, for more budget minded gamers.

[Eonjay]

I don't buy that. Consoles don't exist inside of a vacuum. Everything is going up. Does that mean that everything is screwed? PC gaming isn't a solution is the issue is rising costs. Neither are dead. The real issue is that consumer income has not keep pace with inflation.

There are more adults gaming than kids but the media that caters to us still treats us like children who can't hold complex ideas and critical thinking.

[kayoss]

it is also common knowledge that most consoles are sold at a lost. Its not until later that they release a slim version of the console where they make a bit of profit.

[Lightning77]

Believing? No it's called facts. You know me I always have facts on hand.

https://www.thestationwagon...

Sony hasn't sold at a loss for 4 years now.

https://www.theverge.com/20...

As I said Sony makes money off console MS loses it.

[kayoss]

@lightning77
So for the last 4 years Sony hasnt sold at a loss. What happens before those 4 years?

[kayoss]

For console, its not greed. Companies like Sony are most likely selling the consoles at a lost. Most of their profits and revenue comes from software.

[Lightning77]

Sony aren't selling the console at a loss they make money from it. However Xbox is however they lose about 200$ or so with each console sold. Probably why they're so reliant on multiplat Software sales GP stuff rather than selling consoles.

[Profchaos]

Even the switch 2 is being sold at a loss this is a first for Nintendo

[Eonjay]

Lol @Lightning77.

Imagine believing that it cost Microsoft $200 more to make the series X than it cost Sony to build a PS5. Imagine getting played so hard when the competition is routinely beating you in non Pro match ups. If that were real (it's not) then of course MS would stop making console because they spending way more to get zero or worse results than a cheaper PS5!

[Bateekh]

Extremely L take.

No it will NOT push anyone to PC. You must be quite disconnected from reality. Go ahead and search up prices of just the GPU to be able to play modern games. an RTX 5070 will cost you around $700 alone if not a little more, and if you want a 4K capable machine that can run games at decent settings then you're going to need a stronger card which will run you closer to $1000. We haven't even gotten to the CPU or PSU or RAM or SSD, or Motherboard. A 4k gaming pc capable of running at 30+fps will run you $1500+ minimum, and if you want 60+ FPS then you guaranteed will be over $2000. If you want 2K capable machine then maybe around $1400-$1600 or so.

you bafoons are complaining about what, a $450 console (switch 2) an an $80 game? LOL get real. Console gaming is much cheaper, even PS5 Pro at $700 is a crazy deal compared to any modern gaming PC. So no, nobody is going to PC.

And anybody who thinks it's greed is disconnected from reality and just a brokie looking for a handout. Cry more.

[Lightning77]

Then why are all these YT gamers (even PS centric ones) building a PC? gaming publications and even ppl I know moving to PC or building a PC? Allot more than they have last gen?

Yep must me all in my head I guess.

So you can afford These prices and price hikes. Sounds like a child with mom's money or someone who has absolutely no life of his own.

[NotoriousWhiz]

^ Ironically, having a life is one of the main reasons to go console over PC. No tinkering, no googling or searching protondb to figure out if a game will work on your PC. Just turn it on and press play.

[Jawsh666]

It is greed, but this isn’t standard greed and by that I mean these price increases aren’t just wealthy businessmen increasing costs just because they can. This is partially an effect of tarrifs and the prices are just gonna keep going up regardless of if we’re talking PC or Console.

[Ps5conehead]

You want to know what greed is it’s insulin pump manufacturers. I have to pay 600 a month . For pump supplies. I have no choice but to spend it. But you can decide if you want a console are not. Mine is life and death. This here is gaming

[Extermin8or3_]

First episode of new series of black mirror is for you i think....

[Jingsing]

The sad thing is if Microsoft would just bugger off then none of this acceleration-ism to cloud gaming (the end goal) would be happening. They will ultimately use this expensive pricing to have us paying $100 a month for game streaming in the future.

[badz149]

maybe going mainstream was a mistake for gaming. sure revenues have increased several folds from the PS2 times due to that but in a capitalistic market, shareholders always want more year after year. 200mil profit this year, and if they only make another 200mil in the next year, it's not considered as a "success" thus people getting fired, studio got closed down just so that they can say that they made "more" than last year for the investors! if only these people are as passionate about gaming like they do about their margin, gaming would still be an enjoyable and affordable hobby.

I'll be looking at how Sony handles the PS6. if things get crazier in pricing than this gen already is, I think I will just stop at the PS5 and not invest in next gen.

[thorstein]

This article is fake. Consoles are dead despite them selling more than ever?

[Games_People_Play]

I find myself playing games on my pc more and more this generation. I have my PC which I built myself, hooked up to my 65 inch oled tv.
I got Indiana Jones for free with my gfx card, my steam library is 500+ deep. I’m only buying consoles at this point because of physical games. Once the consoles go all digital, I will just be a pc gamer, because I can build whatever I want, without any limitations.

[ziggyzinfirion]

Without limitations?? Are you sure about that? 😏

[gold_drake]

so u have 500 games u probably even havent played.

arent u part of the problem tho? ha

[Games_People_Play]

Most of my games were $5-$10 summer and winter sales. Some of them are F2P.
And about 40 of them were full price release day purchases. My account is almost 20 years old.

[Michiel1989]

unlike consoles, steam doesn't get a 5-6 year reset on their games, i know this is a shocking revelation. if part of the problem is only having to buy your games once, we sure are guilty

[Extermin8or3_]

@michiel1989: alll my ps4 gsmes work on my ps5. So that's approaching 14 years worth of content. Also you say that but it's not strictly true. I own pc gsmes from way way back in like 2007/2008 that literally can't run on modern drivers and stuff. You have to go online and find ancient software and install it and often it conflicts with the modern versions of the same software so you have to deal with that to get those titles running.

[Michiel1989]

most games since windows xp work fine and if its a title from 1990 i don't mind having the option of not having to buy it again and just run a virtual version of 1998 or something alike to play it, but most often there are way easier fixes. Also i can play multiplayer for games that have been shutdown by the publisher, because the pc community is awesome.

[bRuud83]

It looks like we are going to a new video game crash like in te 80s. Games are going to cost too much, the PS6 and next Xbox will be a huge and costly dissapointment.

[Christopher]

We honestly do not need a new generation of consoles at all. Even PC gaming is seeing more and more reduced gains on technology advances.

[carrotcakeag]

The crash was about very poor quality games on Atari in the days before NES even released. Games are much better now and people will never stop playing. Pricing won’t force people to change hobbies because games like Fortnite start as low as free. Most AAA games end up with massive discounts after a while. Nintendo don’t discount but everyone keeps buying them full price anyway. Those are my thoughts when people predict a total industry crash. The industry will rather change and adapt. Companies that fail to adapt will go bust but there will still be big winners like GTA VI.

[Extermin8or3_]

Erm not really. The coat of hardware and such is all increasing if anything given inflation games have gone down in value since 2007 and even further down in value since the 1990s. What's changed is everyone feels entitled to buy everything new day one and not have to save for anything. Sadly that's just not how the world works.

[Abnor_Mal]

I’ve already decided that I won’t get a PS6 until the PS7 is released. That way the console will cheaper as will the games and most will be complete editions with all dlc.

I’m too old to be worrying about playing games as soon as they’re released, just so I can say I bought it day one. I will continue to play my last gen and vr games in the meantime as I wait for price drops. This will not push me towards PC gaming though.

[DefenderOfDoom2]

I still have not bought a PS5 yet . I want to wait till next fall to buy one, hoping they have a price drop on all PS5s . I do not have a PC to game on . Unfortunately I do not think I can wait to next fall because DOOM The Dark Ages is being released on May 15 of next month. .

[Abnor_Mal]

I waited three years before I got my PS5, and to tell the truth it really wasn’t worth it, besides PSVR2.

There aren’t many games for it that is strictly PS5, that I was interested in, many were still available on PS4. The ones that are PS5 only pricing is still a bit high, but I understand you wanting to get a PS5 for DOOM. Hopefully you get one during some kind of sale between now and then.

[generic-user-name]

"no longer viable" as the PS5 out paces the PS4 and that's before GTA6 releases. The Switch 2 will almost certainly be a smash hit also.

[OhReginald]

If console gaming is screwed, how bad is it on the PC side. Yikes.

[Games_People_Play]

Not bad at all.
You can get good bundle deals at micro center or newegg for all budgets.
Even if the console market was to crash,
(which I don’t believe will happen) PCs will be around forever, because a PC is more than a game machine.

[Michiel1989]

for steam at least, you could actually put in some work yourself and do research. You can see player numbers, peak player numbers of games but that would actually require you putting in effort so that's never gonna happen so we're stuck here with you talking out your ass

[thorstein]

You can do the same for consoles. It's not either/or. PC and consoles are doing quite well.

Many people game on both.

*And "player numbers" on N4G don't mean anything. One week it's all that matters to determine the success or failure of a game. And the next week it doesn't matter, sales do. Then sales don't matter (and this is a direct quote) because people are "buying out of habit."

[Michiel1989]

you can't do the same for consoles, there is no steamcharts equivelant for consoles because transparency is not a thing they do . Also that is just false, for example cs:go, dota and destiny aint surviving/dying because they had a bad or good first week. Also i have no idea who you're quoting.

his statement is just dumb, pc gaming is not relying on console gaming to survive and pc is actually doing very well currently.

[Profchaos]

Component prices are absolutely going up it's no longer cheap to get into PC gaming and games are still as expensive as they are on consoles

You can go a budget route but that won't see you through a console gen many people's who go budget get maybe 4 years without some serious concessions in settings for new games

[Michiel1989]

and that isn't the case with ps5 pro? with normal ps5 you're now a 2nd class citizen with some serious compromises in framerate and settings.

[franwex]

Other gens they were competing harder for market share. This gen they aren’t as much. People keep buying, of course they will get away with it.

[Kratos_Kart2007]

STFU

[hiawa23]

Not sure why gamers are surprised. Everything has gone up. $62 for a carton of eegs last I checked at the store.

Did gamers think the gaming industry would be immune? No, if their costs have increased they will pass that on.

The Switch1 is close to 8 years old yet it still sells for near full price. It is clear Sony and MS are not subsidizing console prices this gen like they have in the past when costs went down.

Now, it is the opposite especially after Covid, supply chain issues, chip shortages, now tariffs. I think this is how the gaming industry is going to be going forward with higher prices for gamers.

[Profchaos]

Exactly this

[Extermin8or3_]

I hope you meant 6 dollars 20 cent?

[hiawa23]

It was $62 at Sams for a crate of eggs which is 2 or 3 tines what that same carton used to cost. I ended up getting the liguid eggs which are now $16, which is twice as much of what they used to cost.

[Cockney]

@hiawa23
Give us some context at least
How many eggs in a crate, how many in a carton and what the hell are liquid eggs ffs
A box of eggs in the uk is predominantly 6 eggs, you pay over $10 per egg? $124 for a dozen?
Never seen liquid eggs over here, not sure what you've swallowed there but it definitely wasn't eggs

[gold_drake]

its all good and well until a game really hits it off and then people are like "oh its so back, it Never died"

people already dont care how much gta6 will cost for example ha.

it's the hypocrisy thats riddled the community.

ill get a new playstation but ill definitely be even more picky what games to get and which to just watch online.

[Profchaos]

It's a value proposition of GTA vi that people see it as being a high value game while the next madden just isn't

[thorstein]

Console gaming isn't dead though.

[northpaws]

Bought PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5, PS5 Pro... and will continue to get PS6/7/8/9/10

Just because one company failed to make a compiling console, doesn't mean the consoles are in trouble, the price increase is caused by Donald Trumps, external factor.

[Profchaos]

This is more related to the console price increase for ps5

[KwietStorm_BLM]

So are we just ignoring everything going on in the world or

[Dandizzle]

VideoGamer.com
-written by teens who have no clue about the industry

[Profchaos]

Every single system out there will go up in price

The ps5 has gone up
The switch 2 has come out of the gate higher than expected

The only reason Xbox has not gone up is because no body is buying the stock that's out there now they have been phasing it out slowly and not replacing inventory in many countries

The upcoming systems the next box will absolutely set a new bar for cost and the ps6 will follow

[Extermin8or3_]

Ps5 digital is cheaper than switch 2 all im saying.

[Extermin8or3_]

I notice this price increase comes alongside a drop in price of the disc drives and it doesn't effect every country. The uk has disc prices decrease but the cost of the ps5 on ps blog seems to have stayed the same. Plus overall the digital version is cheaper than it was at launch on fairly confident.

[derek]

Thank god I got my ps5pro before that nutjob got put back into the presidency.

[jambola]

that's not proof, it's your opinion
I'm not going to read an article by someone who doesn't understand basic words

[talocaca]

I love when people say they will "push people to PC".

Have they not seen the prices of the latest graphics cards? If nothing else, people will keep their current hardware longer.

The PS5 Pro is the first Sony console I don't get at launch. I live in Japan and we went from ¥45,000 for the PS4 Pro to ¥120,000 for the PS5 Pro.

I don't need slightly better ray tracing that much 😅

[OlderGamer17]

Now when a want to read bullshit there is always an "opinionpiece" to read. No matter the subject
This is one of them. Console generations are dead ore dying........again....🤗 ;

[Hugodastrevas]

You can try to charge me however much you want for whatever product you feel like... but I'll only buy the products i want for the amount i feel is good value.

[anast]

This either has to be AI or the writer phoned it in to eat.

[thorstein]

What utter crap. Consoles selling more than ever. But don't let facts get in your way.

[xenz]

Not hard to understand why. Prices for technology has in general gone up a lot, and then on top of that you have an ongoing trade war that Trump started. 10% baseline tariff means 10% higher cost for the consumer.

[joab777]

Labor costs are quite high now dude to inflation and housing. Housing discrepancies and food costs are huge and it’s causing wages to skyrocket and not even keep up with COLA.
It’s very unfortunate but we won’t see prices fall until jobs are eliminated, which itself will cause drastic problems and probably lead to some type of universal income.
But companies are driven by investors and this will never change.

[LastAvenger]

It’s actually no different than the cost of a gaming PC. Console is just a convenient package. A console manufacturer has 4 options. Stay the course and adjust prices to stay profitable, have everything placed in the cloud and streamable. Create a modular platform where HD, Graphics Card, Processor and such can be swapped out by individual upgrades (some how) similarly to PC but with snap on user friendly approach such as the PS5Pro Disc Drive or extra storage. Lastly just drop out entirely.