While Google and Apple have announced cloud-based gaming subscription services, and Microsoft has its own Project xCloud streaming service, it seems Sony is committed to physical game sales – the next generation PlayStation will still have games on discs. It will also be backwards compatible with PS4 titles, though there are no details on how many games will be supported and how. A select number of studios are already working with development kits for the new console, though no titles or service details have yet been announced. In an industry increasingly moving away from dedicated platforms, filled with high-end hardware and supporting physical media, and towards digital-only streaming and subscription models, the next generation PlayStation seems at this stage to be something of an anachronism. With 90m PlayStation 4 units sold since the machine launched over six years ago, the old recipe of custom hardware, exclusive games and backwards compatibility seems to still have legs.

Source: The Guardian April 16, 2019 15:00 UTC