PlayStation 5 can be considered the only winner in the console race. Microsoft has essentially thrown in the towel and shifted its focus entirely to Game Pass, and sales numbers confirm that Sony's platform is a resounding success. But why isn't it mentioned as passionately as the PS4? Eurogamer.net tried it find in this situation.
There can be many reasons. First, the major new hardware products of the generation, which are the VR headset and PS5 Pro, haven't generated much excitement. PSVR 2 was abandoned on release day: a great purchase that comes with a feeling of sunk cost. The PS5 Pro has a history of being expensive, and the Slim, which has always been a budget option in the past, costs the same as the base PS5. And then the price gets even higher.
Another important factor is time. The PS5 launched at the height of the pandemic, when gaming became popular, which had a significant impact on the industry: first increased demand and shortages, then post-pandemic inflation. But there is also a less materialistic nuance. People who have spent years locked up have developed a difficult relationship with the online world; The Zoomer generation, which in many ways is the primary audience for video games, has suffered from social distancing. This group is torn by the desire to constantly monitor what is happening on the Internet, consume media content and run away from it. In other words, the appeal of gaming for this group is lower today than it used to be.
But this is just one possible explanation. Another hypothesis could be put forward: perhaps the gaming industry as a whole is in decline? There are a number of systemic factors involved. The pandemic, people's relationship with digital media, lending rates, bad decisions and huge investments, bloated budgets and game development cycles, the economy of user attention and engagement. The result is the same – there are fewer big games and fewer sensational games, because they themselves don't have as many developers as before. The historic pace of layoffs in the gaming industry has finally reached its release schedule.
Additionally, news about the plight of workers in the industry creates the feeling that things are going badly, regardless of sales. More and more people are starting to understand that, in fact, the profits of large companies are always directly converted into the prosperity and happiness of mortals.
We must not forget that iron brings income to the manufacturer, and this income decreases over time. Integrating SSDs into consoles is truly a major innovation and opens up new possibilities – Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a great example. But such innovations are often subtle in nature because they rely on the absence of something else. No loading screens, seamless transitions between locations, faster movement around the world. Such things are only impressive until players get used to them – and they become the norm.
The game catalog also gives a mixed impression. The PS4 received 86 console-specific projects in its first five years; 44 of them are available only on Sony platforms. The PS5 only received 30 units during the same period, and only 11 of them were truly “exclusive.” Of course, such a comparison does not take into account many games from third-party developers, but first- and second-party exclusives allow you to get an idea of how the platform owner develops his own devices.
From this perspective, the difference between PS4 and PS5 is notable. Sony is currently trying not to take risks. One of the four titles available on PS5 launch day is a remake, while the other two are cross-platform. Fourth is Astro's Playroom. The first few PS4 games were also cross-platform, although back then Sony was willing to take a bit more risk with Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack.
In fact, since the PS5 launched, the console hasn't received a single truly new, original game. Many of the biggest games on the platform are sequels to established franchises. God of War Ragnarok, Ghost of Yotei, Horizon Forbidden West, Spider Man 2, Death Stranding 2, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. In a sense, even Astro Bot is a sequel to Astro's Playroom. And many other projects are re-releases, remakes, expanded editions or upgrades. If such releases were made in parallel with innovative new products, there would be nothing wrong with that, but there are no such new products. So remasters only create the illusion of richness.
Of course it cannot be denied that there have been good matches. The remakes of Demon's Souls and Shadow of the Colossus deserve much praise, and Death Stranding is a unique phenomenon in its genre. Not to mention Returnal, there's no shame in calling it Sony's most unusual and exciting game in recent years. But it went against many established trends in the AAA industry and it can't be called a hit with mass audiences.
Therefore, the cold attitude of gamers towards PS5, despite the platform's unconditional victory in the console war, can be traced to an almost complete lack of creative risks. Not only are expensive long-term projects like The Last Guardian or The Order 1886 being released on PS4, but also smaller projects. Until Dawn, Everyone Goes to Rapture, Gravity Rush 2, Alienation. This genre of “fun but small” games is almost gone.
The current PS5 catalog mainly consists of third-person action games, often in pseudo-open worlds, often featuring familiar old mechanics and ideas. But they sell, so despite everything, the platform is still successful. Although her reputation is rapidly deteriorating.
