Developer: Sony Will Struggle to Convince PS5 Owners to Upgrade to PS6

According to Matthew Cassells, founder of Alderon Games, millions of people are still using PlayStation 4.

The transition to the next console generation may prove more difficult than it appears. Despite the anticipated technological breakthroughs of PlayStation 6, Sony's primary challenge won't be the hardware itself, but rather user behavior.

This sentiment was expressed by Cassells on the Broken Silicon podcast. He noted that a significant portion of their audience is still not rushing to upgrade, with approximately 30-40% of the studio's players continuing to use the base PlayStation 4, having not perceived a substantial enough quality leap when transitioning to PlayStation 5.

Cassells believes that for such users, a direct leap to PlayStation 6 might appear more convincing — comparable to the transition from PS2 to PS3.

However, convincing current-generation owners will be significantly more challenging. According to the developer, PlayStation 5 Pro users are unlikely to want to upgrade their device solely for improved ray tracing. Even with anticipated advancements — more sophisticated ray tracing and upscaling based on future versions of PSSR technology — the difference might not seem substantial enough.

In this situation, Cassells notes that Sony will need to act flexibly. One potential solution could be an expanded device lineup, including a more affordable portable console. A price point around $399 for an additional device offering a noticeable quality improvement might be the argument that convinces users to "just go ahead and buy it."

The developer also warns that slow adoption of the new generation will impact not only Sony but the entire industry. A prolonged cross-gen period has previously hampered game development, forcing developers to account for outdated hardware with HDDs. Only after almost six years did the industry gradually begin to move away from the limitations of the previous generation.