$13B in profits during the PS5 era is huge, and Sony deserves credit. But I think it's important to put this success in context.
First, competition is weaker than ever. Xbox hasn't been a real threat for years, and Nintendo operates in its own space. Sony essentially dominates the "core console" market - this kind of soft monopoly allows them to raise prices (hardware, services, games) without much pushback. And people keep buying.
Sony's long-term strength lies in smart execution, not innovation. Historically, PlayStation has been reactive:
- Analog sticks, rumble, motion controls - all adopted after Nintendo.
- PS Plus came after Xbox Live.
- PS Portal clearly rides the coattails of Switch/Steam Deck.
- Even their controller layout now borrows heavily from Xbox after the PS3 era.
Their first-party games are high-quality, but rarely groundbreaking. Astro Bot, for example, is great fun - but it's essentially a Nintendo platformer in a PlayStation skin.
That said, one major factor behind PlayStation's rise that often gets overlooked is Sony's multimedia empire. Being a leader in consumer electronics gave PlayStation a unique edge:
- PS1 used CDs when others stuck with cartridges
- PS2 was the cheapest DVD player on the market at launch
- PS3 helped win the Blu-ray vs HD-DVD war
- Even today, the PlayStation brand benefits from Sony's broader ecosystem of TVs, film, music, and media tech
What truly sets Sony apart is:
- Global reach and strong regional marketing
- A developer-friendly platform (unlike Nintendo's closed system, especially in the past)
- Consistent investment in first-party studios and IPs
- Building a "premium" brand image with cinematic, big-budget games
- Capitalizing on missteps by competitors -> PS4's rise was fueled by Xbox One's poor launch, and PS5 benefited from Xbox's... well everything really xD
Sony didn't win this generation by reinventing the wheel - they won by executing better than anyone else. And that's worth acknowledging, even if you don't love their approach. Interesting to see if they'll finally be brave enough to do some experimenting themselves, let's hope so!