@themightyant The main problem is e-waste. It's very difficult to extract the battery and properly dispose of it on the current models of consoles and controllers. In practice, many end up in landfills because of this (despite it being against the rules/laws to dispose of them this way).
Your Nintendo controller isn't going to run out of battery--those things last ages. My original PS5 DualSense however, I ended up replacing the battery and both of its analog sticks.
I think Sony is shooting themselves in the foot here. In the short term, for the PS6 generation they will have near absolute control over game prices, and console generation momentum may help them retain customers they currently have.
But it may be that the first truly all-digital console generation is doomed to be the last. Customers aren't stupid. The very presence of a used game market drives game prices downward, even for all-digital customers. PC games are less expensive due to the openness of the platform (which produces competition), and there's no subscription required for online multiplayer. XBOX has positioned itself as a video game rental service with GamePass, and that is a viable business model for an all-digital console from a consumer perspective: you get what you pay for as long as you pay, and that's it.
Perhaps Sony will shift more towards this model, but I predict that fewer and fewer people will be attracted to the ecosystem as a whole, especially if console prices remain high (or get higher).
For myself, this move has shifted me from assuming I'd pick up a PS6 at launch to thinking about building a gaming PC when the time comes for the next generation.
I felt like I was waiting for the Nintendo Direct to actually kick off... and it never did.
It started with a whimper, and crawled through a bunch of JRPGs and games that already exist, but are coming to the Switch 2, ending with Ocarina of Time, which was barely anything other than it exists and has an art style and is coming out this year.
I expect they're playing their cards close to their chest, and they are going to have a dedicated Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct sometime before September, that will include the OOT release date and gameplay along with some kind of commemorative trinket and/or amiibo, and maybe Twilight Princess on NSO.
This year is pretty packed with good games, though. My PS5 is going to be cooking. I'm not sure when I'll get around to them all, honestly. So I'm okay if Star Fox and OOT are the only things from Nintendo I'm playing.
Personally I'm not hoping for anything in particular (okay, maybe that 3rd entry in the Horizon series), but I hope they show games that look fun to play and are coming out soon.
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Re: Nintendo confirm replaceable battery EU Switch 2 model, end of Switch 1 production
@themightyant The main problem is e-waste. It's very difficult to extract the battery and properly dispose of it on the current models of consoles and controllers. In practice, many end up in landfills because of this (despite it being against the rules/laws to dispose of them this way).
Your Nintendo controller isn't going to run out of battery--those things last ages. My original PS5 DualSense however, I ended up replacing the battery and both of its analog sticks.
Re: Sony Kills Physical PS5 Games, Starting in January 2028: A Gigantic Hint That PS6 Will Be "Adorably All-Digital"
I think Sony is shooting themselves in the foot here. In the short term, for the PS6 generation they will have near absolute control over game prices, and console generation momentum may help them retain customers they currently have.
But it may be that the first truly all-digital console generation is doomed to be the last. Customers aren't stupid. The very presence of a used game market drives game prices downward, even for all-digital customers. PC games are less expensive due to the openness of the platform (which produces competition), and there's no subscription required for online multiplayer. XBOX has positioned itself as a video game rental service with GamePass, and that is a viable business model for an all-digital console from a consumer perspective: you get what you pay for as long as you pay, and that's it.
Perhaps Sony will shift more towards this model, but I predict that fewer and fewer people will be attracted to the ecosystem as a whole, especially if console prices remain high (or get higher).
For myself, this move has shifted me from assuming I'd pick up a PS6 at launch to thinking about building a gaming PC when the time comes for the next generation.
Re: Where Would You Rank Nintendo Direct vs The Other Summer Showcases?
I felt like I was waiting for the Nintendo Direct to actually kick off... and it never did.
It started with a whimper, and crawled through a bunch of JRPGs and games that already exist, but are coming to the Switch 2, ending with Ocarina of Time, which was barely anything other than it exists and has an art style and is coming out this year.
I expect they're playing their cards close to their chest, and they are going to have a dedicated Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct sometime before September, that will include the OOT release date and gameplay along with some kind of commemorative trinket and/or amiibo, and maybe Twilight Princess on NSO.
This year is pretty packed with good games, though. My PS5 is going to be cooking. I'm not sure when I'll get around to them all, honestly. So I'm okay if Star Fox and OOT are the only things from Nintendo I'm playing.
Re: Is Switch 2 Powerful Enough To Last Into the 2030s With PS6 and Project Helix Coming Soon?
Where else am I going to play the next Zelda?
Re: PlayStation State of Play on 2nd June: What Are You Hoping for at the 60+ Minute Show?
Personally I'm not hoping for anything in particular (okay, maybe that 3rd entry in the Horizon series), but I hope they show games that look fun to play and are coming out soon.