Sony’s next-gen PlayStation will go ‘beyond the living room’
Sony’s next-gen PlayStation will go ‘beyond the living room’
索尼下一代 PlayStation 将“走出客厅”
Sony hinted in a recent Q&A with investors that the next generation PlayStation will offer some kind of experience that lets you play games outside of your living room. 索尼在最近与投资者问答环节中暗示，下一代 PlayStation 将提供某种让用户在客厅之外也能玩游戏的游戏体验。
Here’s the relevant portion from the transcript, emphasis mine: 以下是会议记录中的相关部分（重点由我标注）：
Q: How can you bring back to the PlayStation platform users who migrated to gaming PCs during the COVID period? In aiming for profit growth, are there limitations on what can be done in the short term, or do you see the potential for more significant changes with the next-generation platform? 问：你们如何将疫情期间流失到游戏 PC 平台的玩家带回 PlayStation 平台？在追求利润增长的过程中，短期内是否存在局限性？或者说，你们是否认为下一代平台具备实现更重大变革的潜力？
A: PlayStation has long been strongly associated with the idea of playing in the living room. However, in recent years, more users globally have been using personal monitors. In response, we are selling peripherals such as monitors and speakers to break away from the fixed perception that “PlayStation equals the living room” and to broaden usage scenarios. For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation. This includes not only technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room. 答：长期以来，PlayStation 一直与“客厅游戏”的概念紧密相连。然而近年来，全球范围内有越来越多的用户开始使用个人显示器。为此，我们正在销售显示器和音箱等外设，旨在打破“PlayStation 等于客厅”的固有观念，并拓宽使用场景。对于下一代平台，我们不仅要将其作为 PC 的替代品，更旨在提供 PlayStation 独有的价值。这不仅包括技术上的进步，还包括使用方式的扩展，从而实现一种在客厅之外也能自然享受的无缝体验。
It’s worth noting that Sony already lets you play PS5 games on the go thanks to things like Remote Play and the PlayStation Portal streaming handheld. However, Bloomberg reported in 2024 that Sony is working on a new handheld gaming console, and it has added a Power Saver mode to some PS5 games that would make them ideal for handheld play. Given all that and this response from Sony, perhaps the next PlayStation console generation will include a more prominent handheld experience of some kind. 值得注意的是，得益于远程游玩（Remote Play）和 PlayStation Portal 流媒体掌机，索尼已经让用户能够随时随地游玩 PS5 游戏。然而，彭博社在 2024 年曾报道称索尼正在研发一款全新的掌上游戏机，并且已经在部分 PS5 游戏中加入了“省电模式”，使其更适合掌机游玩。综合这些信息以及索尼的最新回应，或许下一代 PlayStation 主机将包含某种更显著的掌机体验。
The phrase “beyond the living room” also shows up in a response to a question about Sony’s thinking on hardware pricing, including for its next generation. That answer includes Sony saying that “we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses,” which, given the already-high prices of hardware like the PS5 Pro ($899.99), the Steam Machine ($1,049), and the upcoming new prices of the Xbox Series X (starting at $749.99), could point to an expensive price tag for Sony’s next generation PlayStation hardware. “走出客厅”这一表述也出现在关于索尼硬件定价策略（包括下一代产品）的问答中。索尼在回答中表示：“我们无意以大幅亏损的价格销售硬件。”考虑到 PS5 Pro（899.99 美元）、Steam Machine（1,049 美元）以及即将调整价格的 Xbox Series X（起售价 749.99 美元）等硬件已经处于高位，这可能预示着索尼下一代 PlayStation 硬件的价格也将十分昂贵。
Here’s what Sony said there: 索尼对此的回应如下：
Q: Considering consumer behavior, could you update us on your current thinking regarding hardware pricing and profitability? For the next-generation platform, is it reasonable to assume that your pricing will continue to prioritize profitability of the hardware, as it does today? 问：考虑到消费者行为，能否告知你们目前对硬件定价和盈利能力的看法？对于下一代平台，是否可以认为你们的定价将继续像今天这样优先考虑硬件的盈利能力？
A: First, we regard hardware as the base for providing the gaming experience, and by offering products such as the PlayStation Portal Remote Player (PS Portal), we aim to provide experiences tailored to users’ play styles beyond the living room, which has traditionally been considered the primary usage environment. As for pricing, it is not realistic for us to absorb all component cost increases, and we have already implemented some price increases outside Japan. At present, however, sales are proceeding as planned, and we do not believe this has led to a decline in customer demand. As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses. At the same time, we are carefully monitoring the market and continuing to evaluate our approach. We believe it is important for us to make every effort to ensure that customers fully understand the value we provide in relation to pricing. 答：首先，我们将硬件视为提供游戏体验的基础。通过提供 PlayStation Portal 远程播放器（PS Portal）等产品，我们的目标是为用户提供超越传统客厅环境（即主要使用场景）的、量身定制的游戏体验。关于定价，让我们完全消化所有零部件成本的上涨是不现实的，我们已经在日本以外的地区实施了一些涨价措施。但目前，销售情况正如预期进行，我们认为这并未导致客户需求下降。原则上，我们无意以大幅亏损的价格销售硬件。同时，我们正在密切关注市场并持续评估我们的策略。我们认为，尽最大努力确保客户充分理解我们所提供的价值与定价之间的关系至关重要。
Sony hasn’t said when it plans to release its next-generation PlayStation hardware. The PS5 initially launched in 2020, and Sony historically has released a new console generation every six or seven years. If that pattern followed, there would be a launch this year or next, but the company has reportedly considered pushing back its next console launch to 2028 or 2029 due to RAMaggedon. 索尼尚未透露其下一代 PlayStation 硬件的发布计划。PS5 最初于 2020 年发布，而索尼历史上通常每六到七年发布一代新主机。如果遵循这一规律，新主机本应在今年或明年发布，但据报道，由于内存供应危机（RAMaggedon），该公司已考虑将下一代主机的发布推迟至 2028 年或 2029 年。