Why a $1,000 PS6 Might Struggle to Sell—and Why Sony Isn’t Worried

Between the cost-of-living crunch, higher prices from US tariffs, a worldwide memory shortage, wage growth that hasn’t kept pace, and ongoing geopolitical tensions that continue to ripple through costs, many players simply have less room in their budgets. In that environment, the prospect of paying around $1,000 for a new console that feels only slightly better than the system already in the living room is understandably less tempting than it would be in a healthier economy.

That reality is apparently baked into Sony’s thinking. A director at Niko Partners, Daniel Ahmad, has said Sony expects the typical console owner to hesitate before upgrading on day one to a PlayStation 6. Rather than trying to win over that broader, more casual audience immediately, Ahmad argues Sony has accepted a shift in what consoles represent in the market: they are no longer a $200 mass-market impulse buy. The company, in his view, is preparing to “focus on hardcore gamers who are willing to spend more.”

One practical way to protect and increase profitability is to change how games are sold. Sony’s plan to stop producing physical discs in 2028 is tied to that approach. By selling directly through its own platform, Sony avoids manufacturing overhead and some of the cuts that typically come with retailer involvement. For first-party titles, that also means Sony keeps 100 percent of the revenue from PlayStation Store sales, and it can earn more from third-party sales handled through the same ecosystem.

Why Sony Is Leaning Into a Smaller Day-One Upgrade Crowd

Targeting a narrower, more dedicated audience changes the calculus for Sony. If the PS6 is expected to launch with a smaller group of early adopters, the company can afford to be less concerned about alienating players who are more price-sensitive, rely on second-hand purchases, or still prefer physical media. Ahmad also points out that some customers may have less reliable internet access, or may be based in regions where disc-based distribution has been more practical.

In his description, Sony is effectively treating the “day one” upgrade wave as a hardcore-first moment rather than a universal leap. The logic, as he frames it, is that Sony already has a disc-capable device in the PS5—so the PS6 doesn’t need to sell like a mass-market product on release in order to succeed.

The Used Market Cutoff Matters More Than the Console Hardware Itself

There is precedent for how supply constraints can reshape console generations. During the pandemic, shortages limited the number of PlayStation 5 consoles available, which in turn kept the PS4 relevant for longer than usual.

This situation is different, though, because the key change isn’t just availability—it’s distribution. Even if players can still use existing current-gen hardware when the PS6 arrives to keep playing certain new games, Sony’s first-party releases will not be produced on disc starting in 2028. That means the day-to-day reality for many buyers changes: a disc drive in a PS6-era console won’t solve the problem of getting new first-party games physically.

The bigger knock-on effect is that the second-hand market effectively dies for new releases. Ahmad says this is again part of Sony’s goal to “maximize spend per user,” removing the ability for new software to flow into resale channels and steering transactions toward the platform that controls the storefront.

• Sony expects a smaller day-one audience for the PS6, with average console players more likely to delay upgrades.
• The shift implies less risk in upsetting casual or budget-minded customers who depend on second-hand buying.
• Stopping disc production from 2028 onward reduces the value of having a disc-capable setup for new first-party releases.
• The used market for PS6 software would effectively end, tightening control over sales and margins.

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Ahmad’s explanation is blunt about what Sony gains from the end of disc manufacturing. He describes Sony as “essentially ending the used market for PS6 software” and ensuring that the software sold is higher margin. He also stresses that Sony controls licensing more directly, with access dependent on Sony’s platform rather than on disc distribution and independent resale.

Analysts also expect Sony to follow through with a fully digital direction for the next machine. They believe an all-digital PS6 would arrive in late 2028, aligning with the announcement that physical discs will stop being produced.