The PlayStation 5 isn’t even out yet, and already Sony has revealed that they’re planning to put out some special editions in the new year. The console is due to release in November, which is probably when we’ll see yet more stock issues with it. After all of that, they’re going to put some fancy new editions in front of everyone who purchased a PlayStation 5 early, and make them regret it. This seems like a bad business decision, but it could also be very clever.
I can’t tell you if the above are actual designs for upcoming PlayStation 5 consoles. If they are, wow! But there are so many doing the rounds that it’s hard to keep track of what’s real. Regardless of whether they are or not, they look better than the base console don’t they? That’s why someone would buy them, probably paying a little more, with the game they’re based on presumably being included too.
As someone who has yet to pre-order a PlayStation 5, this makes me want to wait until 2021. I’d rather have a special edition console than a boring base one, but I’d also like to get one this side of 2020. As a consumer, it makes me want to buy a PlayStation 5 now, and then get another one in the new year. From this perspective, it feels like bad business on Sony’s part. However, there is another side to it all.
What Sony is doing is trying to tempt those who don’t adopt their new console early into buying one when some of these games come out. Not all of them are PlayStation 5 exclusives, but they’re all very pretty to say the least. It’s a great marketing tactic to get more people on your platform. If nothing else, a collector might pick one of these up just to say that they have it, and put it somewhere in their collection.
Whilst Sony seems to be dropping the ball, particularly when it comes to their Digital Edition PlayStation 5 offering, this is a move that could see them slowly gain a larger install base over time. I believe that those who want an Xbox Series X or S will have one by Christmas 2020. For the PlayStation 5 though, I think this generation is going to be a slow burner that ultimately sees this platform come out on top. These special edition consoles are definitely a part of that.