• 2 min read
Shawn Layden says PS6 needs broader games to justify $1,000
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says better graphics alone won’t justify a possible $1,000 PS6. Sony needs more varied games to reach new players.
Image: TechRadar
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says Sony will need “more games for more people” if it wants players to accept a possible $1,000 PS6.
Speaking to Kotaku, Layden argued that hardware gains alone are no longer enough to sell ever-pricier consoles. With analysts suggesting the PS6 and next Xbox could reach $1000, he questioned how much value players will see from another jump in graphics performance.
“I mean really, how much more ray tracing can you put in there?” “And will my eyes actually see 120 frames per second?”
The TechRadar report says current hardware prices have climbed amid higher manufacturing costs, inflation, and component shortages. It also notes that Sony and Microsoft have raised prices on the current generation even though the PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S are now six years old.
Layden, who left Sony in 2019, said the bigger issue is software. He argued that studios are narrowing the audience by repeatedly building games around familiar categories such as zombie apocalypses, space marines, and fantasy action games.
“I think we’re already kind of limiting our reach just because of the games we’re building now. I mean, variety and range seem to be narrowing.”
He also used Grand Theft Auto 6 as an example. While he said it will hit the industry like “an asteroid”, he added that many people outside gaming simply do not care about it. In his view, publishers are getting more money from the same players instead of bringing in new ones.
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Layden said that if developers keep chasing the tastes of the “base user,” the business can remain healthy without growing meaningfully. His answer is broader creative investment and more diverse development voices.
“We need to bring out more games for more people, which means actually you have to have more people making games and in different places and different experiences. I want to find out what games from Uruguay look like and what kind of game designers we have in Bulgaria.”
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via TechRadar
