PS6のお値段、12万～13万円程度になる可能性
Rumors are swirling that the next-gen console, PS6, could come with a staggering price tag of around 120,000 to 130,000 yen. Gamers are in an uproar, shocked by this potential massive jump in price, especially after finding PS5 already expensive. Social media is flooded with cries like "Too expensive to buy!" and "I'd rather build a PC!", making it a hot topic online.
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Semiconductor Shortages and Soaring Manufacturing Costs
One of the biggest factors predicted to drive up the PS6's price is the chronic shortage in the semiconductor market and the skyrocketing manufacturing costs. Modern game consoles cannot exist without high-performance semiconductor chips like CPUs and GPUs. However, ever since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, semiconductor factories worldwide have been running at full capacity yet still cannot keep up with demand. Specifically, high-performance chips manufactured with cutting-edge processes, likely to be installed in next-gen consoles like the PS6, incur high development costs, and the manufacturing unit prices from foundries like TSMC (semiconductor contract manufacturers) are increasing year by year. Furthermore, the intensifying AI development race in recent years has created massive demand for high-performance chips like GPUs for AI data centers, relatively lowering the priority for game consoles and further pushing up procurement costs. For instance, while semiconductor shortages were a concern during the PS5 launch, the PS6 will require even more advanced chips, making its manufacturing cost highly likely to significantly exceed that of the PS5.
Prolonged Yen Depreciation and Impact on the Japanese Market
The intensifying depreciation of the Japanese yen directly impacts the PS6's retail price in Japan. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a global company, and most of its console parts procurement and manufacturing occur overseas. High-performance semiconductor chips, as mentioned earlier, are often traded in US dollars, meaning that as the yen's value relatively declines, the cost when paid in Japanese yen increases. The PS5 also saw a price hike of approximately 5,000 yen in Japan in August 2022, citing "global inflationary trends and exchange rate fluctuations." This was a significant increase considering the launch prices of 39,980 yen for the Digital Edition and 49,980 yen for the standard version. Assuming the current exchange rate or further yen depreciation when the PS6 launches, even if its global dollar price is similar to the PS5's, the yen-converted price could easily exceed 100,000 yen, far surpassing the PS5's launch price. Coupled with declining consumer purchasing power, this high pricing presents a major challenge for sales strategies in the Japanese market.
Next-Gen Console Pricing Strategy and Market Acceptance
Setting the price for a game console requires deep consideration of not just manufacturing costs but also market strategy and user acceptance. Sony has established a business model where profits are generated through software sales and services like PS Plus, by widely disseminating the console itself. This creates a constant dilemma: "If the console price is too high, initial adoption will be slow." With past experience of the PS3 struggling in the market due to its high price, balancing high performance and affordability is crucial. However, with external factors like semiconductor costs and yen depreciation intensifying, manufacturers are in a situation where they must raise console prices to secure profits. On the other hand, users make a critical judgment on "how much they are willing to spend on a game console." For example, if the price exceeds 100,000 yen, more consumers might compare it with high-performance gaming PCs, and casual users might gravitate towards mobile games. If the PS6 falls into this price range, its success in the market will hinge on whether its performance and the experience it offers possess enough innovation to make consumers feel it's "worth paying a high price for."