With Sony's PlayStation 4 generation slowing winding down, fans are beginning to get excited for the company's next hardware release, likely to be called PlayStation 5. While the new console, which is still more than a year away, will continue to push the technical envelope with improved specs and features, Sony's CEO has come forward to say the system isn't being designed for a majority audience.

During one of Sony's recent strategy briefings, CEO Kenichiro Yoshida stated while the PlayStation 5 marks the beginning of a new chapter for the company's gaming division, he sees the new console as something geared towards more serious players. He mentioned Google as a model tech company to mimic when it comes to appealing to a more hardcore audience that craves the newest, latest hardware features.

It's unclear whether or not Yoshida's comments are meant to reflect the entirety of the PS5's lifespan or just during its launch phase. Sony confirmed last month it plans to support PS4 for three more years, so it's likely the latter timeframe is what he's referring to. Given PS5 will be backwards compatible with all PS4 games, this does put less pressure on people to pick up the new system immediately.

For those who are eagerly awaiting the PlayStation 5, details on the system's specs have given many reasons to be excited. In an exclusive report with Wired in April, Sony revealed important details about the PS5, with features such as Ray Tracing, the aforementioned backwards compatibility, and faster loading times being major talking points. PS4 Lead Architect Mark Cerny has shown first-hand how much faster the new console runs, with Marvel's Spider-Man being able to load 15 times faster compared to PS4 thanks to a demonstration of the system's Solid State Drive.

playstation 5 hardcore playerbase focus

While Yoshida makes a good point about the immediate appeal of PlayStation 5 at launch, the eventual release of many first-party exclusive sequels will likely change the landscape of Sony's target audience. There's no confirmation yet, but with Sony striving for exclusive story-based games, and rumors surrounding sequels for successful PS4 games such as Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and the previously mentioned Marvel's Spider-Man, Sony's new console can be expected to gain much more attention over the next few years.

Source: Wall Street Journal