Sony says its next PlayStation will not simply exist as a console alternative for people who do not want to play on PC. Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said the company wants to deliver value that is specifically tied to PlayStation and cannot be replicated in quite the same way by a computer.

Discussion around the next PlayStation has so far focused mainly on its possible price, performance and form factor, while Sony has still not officially announced either the console’s name or release date. The company’s executives have nevertheless begun to outline how they are thinking about the next generation. The apparent goal is not for PlayStation to chase the PC by acting as a more powerful substitute for it, but to provide a different kind of experience for players who remain inside Sony’s ecosystem.

Sony Wants a Distinct PlayStation Value, Not a PC Substitute

During an investor Q&A session, Hideaki Nishino said PlayStation had long been almost automatically associated with playing in the living room. In his view, that image has changed in recent years because more people around the world are using personal monitors for console gaming. Sony is therefore also expanding its display and audio options in an effort to move PlayStation beyond the traditional television-centred setup.

“PlayStation has long been strongly associated with the idea of playing in the living room. However, in recent years, more and more users worldwide are using personal monitors. That is why we are marketing peripherals like monitors and speakers to break the preconceived notion that PlayStation is synonymous with the living room and expand its potential uses.”

Nishino made the comments in response to a question about how Sony intends to win back players who moved to PC during the pandemic or in the years that followed. According to the Sony Interactive Entertainment chief, the purpose of the next-generation platform will not be to serve as another entry point into the same PC-centred world. “For the next-generation platform, instead of simply being an alternative to PCs, our goal is to offer exclusive PlayStation value,” he said.

That strategy may involve more than technological advances. Nishino said Sony wants to support a wider range of usage styles, allowing the PlayStation experience to move naturally beyond the living room while remaining part of a unified ecosystem. Rumours have suggested that a portable device could launch alongside the next PlayStation, although Sony has not confirmed that possibility. What is becoming clearer is that, after taking a more cautious approach to PC releases, Sony is again looking for the elements that can make PlayStation feel like a distinct platform rather than simply a more closed version of a computer.

Source: 3DJuegos