u/Loldimorti

Is it just me or do just a few runs allow you to unlock pretty much everything in the skill treeup until the next boss node? Only exception are the Halicron which seem to be limited in quantity so as I progress more and more upgrades that require those are becoming inaccessible since the upgrades seem to get more and more expensive. Therefore I am focusing on unlocking only those that block access to further lucenite upgrades.

Is there more to it?

It seems incredibly simple and devoid of strategy nor does it seem to provide any build variety. That can't be it though, can it?

Despite the ongoing doom and gloom about the AI bubble and inflated component cost I, up until recently, wasn't too worried about PS6 pricing (at least in the sense of it being a $1000 console).

Why? Because I thought I'd seen it all before with the PS5 launching directly into a crypto boom and global pandemic. People were wondering how PS5 could be any less than $700 but then it launched starting at $399.

Early leaks regarding PS6 indicate Sony was cost conscious with the console design. The main processor for example is rumoured to be smaller in die size than the PS5 launch model.

So with Sony's massive supply chain in mind and the opportunities in terms of buying power and economies of scale that a popular game console affords I thought Sony would be able to soften the blow of current supply issues. Maybe take a slightly bigger loss and charge 100 bucks more than they initially planned but nothing completely crazy.

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So why am I only now starting to get worried?

Essentially two things caught me off guard. For one, Valve's very apparent struggle to get Steam Machine, a device that will at best meet PS5 specs, onto market while simultaneously raising prices for Steam Deck to an insane degree. Secondly, reports from Windows Central that even after price hikes Xbox is losing a significant amount of money on every console sold.

This implies to me that either both these companies' supply chains are terribly managed or that the situation is more dire than I thought. Yeah I know how expensive things are for consumers but buying power and economies of scale in the past have been a big factor that allowed something like a PS5 to launch at a cheap price despite ongoing shortages. This seems to no longer hold true to the same degree today it seems.

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So what is the solution?

It's going to be a rough start either way until component prices come down but at the same time I believe a thousand dollar console is a non starter. So I can see two reasonable cost cutting measures to at least mitigate the impact.

The first being modularity. Disc drives are already modular and I expect this will continue into the PS6 with the discless model being the default. But I think the same could be applied to SSD storage, which has become more expensive. PS5 already allows for storage expansion, up until the PS3 storage wasn't even included in the console, instead requiring that you buy memory cards.

So I suggest to cut down the actual on-board storage to the bare minimum (like e.g. 256gb just for the OS and for save files) and make storage something you buy extra in the size you need (e.g. 500gb, 2tb, etc.) and plug into the console.

And unlike making RAM upgradeable this would not impact performance or compatibility of games in any way.

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The second big opportunity I see is with the PS6 handheld that I have not brought up so far but which is also all but confimed. The actual processor is of similar design but much smaller and cheaper to manufacture than the big home console. RAM is also scaled down accordingly.

I don't know how much of a focus Sony was initially planning to put on the handheld but now it seems this should be put front and center as a cheaper alternative to the big home console, possibly even as a TV "docked only" variant by stripping out the battery, screen and speakers for further cost reduction. Basically turn it into a Series S type device they can sell below even the price of a PS5 Digital Edition.

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What are your thoughts on this? Another frequently discussed possibility I didn't mention was delaying the console. That's always an option of course but, apart from maybe a few months of delays I think that would be very risky and costly for Sony, something I can only see them doing if all else fails.