Sony: Console Life Cycles Just Aren’t As Long As They Used To Be

This generation of video game consoles has been interesting, to say the least. While both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are hit sellers amongst the public, that hasn't stopped both companies from releasing revamped versions of those consoles, with the PlayStation 4 Pro currently on shelves and the Xbox One X releasing this fall.

That said, we could be in an era where a console lasting over 10+ years time – like the Nintendo Entertainment System and the PlayStation 2 – could be a thing of the past.

Speaking with Edge Magazine, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe president Jim Ryan addressed this matter, thinking that the original PlayStation 4 won't last 13 years like the PlayStation 2 did – even with its large user base.

"It's a very interesting question. The cultural phenomenon of regular updates to smartphones and tablets is without question, perhaps subliminally, coloring mindsets. And the days of a 13-year PlayStation 2 cycle will almost certainly never repeat themselves. But equally, a platform is a very delicate ecosystem, and if that platform is to succeed, you've got to give those who make content for it the chance to recoup on it. At the end of the day, like it or not, these are businesses," he said.

"We struck – and Microsoft has as well – a good balance of innovation within the confines of the platform. Also, services which operate agnostically of particular hardware, like PlayStation Now for example, are something you're going to see more of. I think we're only six months into PlayStation 4 Pro, and it's too early to tell. The Xbox One X hasn't launched yet. I don't know if this is the way forward or not."

It's hard to think that something like the PlayStation 4 wouldn't thrive for years to come on the strength of such games as Horizon: Zero Dawn and God of War, but we already know that both the PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox system are currently being planned, so, sadly, it looks like this statement could turn out to be true.

We'll see what the new generation brings in just a few years' time.