Just last month, Sony unveiled their mid-generation upgrade for the Playstation 4. Now known as the Playstation 4 Pro, the console is now capable of upscaled 4K gaming, boosted performance, and HDR support, meant to display a wider range of colors. It may seem like a simple graphical upgrade to an already existing console, but releasing a console like this is revolutionary for the gaming industry.
Before now, a new iteration of a console would usually last a consumer four to six years, with some redesigns to the console occuring once or twice to refresh product and create interest in a console after a period of time. However, these types of consoles never provided any sort of graphical or performance improvements that incentivized consumers to go purchase another system. Now, the Playstation 4 Pro is going against industry trends. Its new console will now market to those owning 4K TVs or looking for the absolute best experience possible for a video game platform.
However, despite all of these improvements, there are significant obstacles that stand in Sony's way of marketing this product at its greatest potential.
Currently, the Playstation 4 is the best-selling video game console of this generation, vastly exceeding its competitors by large margins. With this in mind, Sony is inexplicably dividing its fanbase by introducing a more powerful iteration of the Playstation 4 less than three years since the original console's release. It is undoubtable that Sony's introduction of this console has left them in an airtight spot. On one hand, they can't market the Playstation 4 Pro as the new system to get while abandoning the Playstation, but they also can't deter attention away from their new hardware.
Whether Sony was aware that they would face this dilemma, it stands that the Playstation 4 Pro was introduced to signal a new trend in the industry that may become mainstream in the future: a "refresh" cycle.
For a while, Apple has annually released a new iPhone every year, much to their success, as they have experienced record-breaking numbers in terms of iPhone sales and revenue. However, it is important to note that they do not simply abandon the previous model, but rather allow it to remain relevant for one to two years before its production is discontinued. It is entirely plausible that Sony is trying to accomplish something similar in order to keep up with technological advances in gaming and hardware, so as to maintain excitement and interest in the brand. The "refresh cycle" also creates flexibility for the company, as they can implement new features and upgrades when they feel they are necessary and develop the appropriate console to realize their visions.
It is still hard to believe that Sony would release significant improvements year after year for gaming consoles, as it is not cost-efficient, but every two to four years could prove effective for Sony and financially beneficial as well.
The consumers that desire a console experience that provides entertainment and longevity might be skeptical about the transition that the gaming industry is making. Despite the reception, we are living in a world where new technological advances and innovations seem commonplace. There is no doubt that breakthroughs with new technologies could be game-changing for the industry as a whole. In its early stages, the introduction of the Playstation 4 Pro might simply improve the graphics and performance of the console. However, its implications extend their reach much farther than anticipated. For gamers and industry analysts alike, they must come to the realization that what defines console gaming will never be the same again.
