We have a tech discussion of next gen consoles, but what about a business discussion? Assuming current inflation rates remain the same, $400 in 2013 would be about $450 in 2020. If new consoles are released at that time or later, could we see it at $500 USD? And in a related matter, could games be $70+ USD next generation? A couple of things to consider.
- I start with a premise that the XBox One X and PS4/PS4 Pro and to a lesser extent XBox One are putting the best technology the console makers can put in their prices. Don't expect more for less in the future. What would a $400 XBox One X look like? Maybe less RAM, no Hovis and thus lower Ghz?
- Now that the public and developers have a taste for multiple console hardware levels, the possibility is feasible. Base is a GTX 1060 level and the high end is a 1080 for example purposes. I doubt two tier will happen but just throwing it out there.
- Kind of a weird idea, but if 9th gen consoles are a continuation of current consoles (i.e. cross compatible games) it might not be as important to sell as many units quickly out of the gate. In previous generations, early games depended on a growing install base. So 9th gen consoles can be made and sold as a high end machine, negating the point above.
- DRAM prices remain high though we can't predict how it will look in the future of course.