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Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden cautions that upcoming hardware like PS6 and Xbox Helix will struggle to attract buyers at a potential 1000 dollar price point if they rely solely on marginal technical evolutions.
Speaking on The Expansion Pass, Layden questioned whether simply increasing ray-tracing capabilities and teraflops would convince consumers to spend such a large sum of money, noting that technological improvements may have reached a plateau where faster and more colorful graphics are no longer enough.
Contrasting current hardware plateaus with past generational leaps like the transition from VHS to DVD, Layden warned that if improvements remain esoteric while costs rise, players might reconsider purchasing the new consoles.
Beyond technical lighting enhancements, rumored portable versions from both PlayStation and Xbox represent significant potential changes, though component crises and persistent RAM pricing could prevent delays around late 2027 or 2028.
