Sony is seeing “very considerable” demand for its PlayStation 5 console via pre-orders, its gaming chief said, as the technology firm targets pole position in the race to tap the growth of gaming globally.
Sony shares slid as much as 2% in Tokyo trade on Wednesday after Microsoft said it would buy the parent of games publisher Bethesda Softworks, in a deal to bolster its games slate as it eyes cloud gaming expansion.
Microsoft said on Monday it plans to acquire ZeniMax Media, owner of the storied videogame publisher Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5-billion, its biggest videogame purchase ever.
Sony said its next-generation PlayStation 5 console would launch in November priced at $499.99 and $399.99 for a version without a disc drive, as it squares off against rival Microsoft’s new Xbox console.
At a time when its collection of businesses are all declining, Sony had one bright spot on the horizon: a new games console. Now the company, and its investors, will need to wait a little longer for that fresh high.
Microsoft’s two-tiered strategy that attempts to make next-generation console gaming more affordable misses the mark. The company seems to have forgotten the most important videogame industry lesson.
Sony is roughly doubling its PlayStation 5 production to 10 million units this year as it sees the prolonged effects of the Covid-19 pandemic boosting demand for gaming.
Sony’s image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStation’s success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market by selling software by subscription for data-analysing sensors.
Sony has unveiled its forthcoming PlayStation 5 and a raft of titles set to land on the next-generation console.
Facebook’s Oculus division is building a new version of its Quest standalone virtual reality headset that is likely to be smaller, lighter and have a faster image refresh rate for more realistic content.