"If you cannot show value to consumers, don't even try:" Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida feels next-generation hardware is fanciful right now

PlayStation veteran and former Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Shuhei Yoshida feels it would be a mistake for the likes of PlayStation and Xbox to announce next-generation hardware during the ongoing component shortage if they cannot demonstrate value. 

The price of existing console hardware continues to surge due to rampant investment in generative AI datacenters and the resultant memory crisis—meaning devices that usually get cheaper as they age now cost more than ever. It's a situation that is also amplifying the cost of new hardware, such as the Steam Machine, which debuted earlier this year (after delays) at an entry-level price point of $1,049. 

Speaking to Vertical Slice about where that leaves manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft as we approach what would traditionally be viewed as the final years of a conventional console lifecycle, Yoshida feels we've reached a point where consumers are being asked to pay over the odds for devices that offer diminishing returns.