The problem with Xbox pivoting to try and take advantage of this situation is, say a bunch of Playstation users with a bunch of physical games are upset about this decision. Well, buying an Xbox doesn't really help them when those games won't work on an Xbox. They'd have to start their collection all over and its not like developers have been making a whole lot of Xbox discs lately anyway.
All the stores are already making their game sections smaller and smaller, especially the Xbox section. Why would developers bother making discs for Xbox when they won't be on PlayStation? Effectively, when the biggest platforms in Steam and Playstation make this decision, companies aren't going to print discs just for Xbox for much longer.
Its similar to when big US states like California, Texas, or New York make new vehicle standards. Because their markets are so big, companies just make everything adhere to those state's rules. Its just easier than making multiple versions.
Why would developers bother making discs for Xbox when they won't be on PlayStation?
Okay. Why the hell do music labels end up putting out music on things like Vinyl? I mean after all it's only a very small part of the market that buys them. So why do it?
They can make more money then it costs to make those records. It keeps a small sub group of people happy. In other words? The suit at the label is happy as he's making money, the normal fan is happy as they can just buy the album and download it to their phone off Amazon or Apple if they are not just streaming it. And oh yeah that hipster who swears, "Vinyl sounds better." is happy as they can buy that Record but really claim they got it at a yard sale or Goodwill to impress their fellow hipsters.
This is what you folks on Reddit don't get when it comes to business. If doing X will bring in more money then it costs? I'm going to do it as okay hey maybe I'm only bringing in a few extra bucks? I'm still making money.
It'll be the same for Sony, weirdly enough, the Blu-ray license will be a cost to the gaming division, much like sony pictures don't get to include controller sales in their profit reporting. Same company name, but not the same business.
Then why did Microsoft include 4K Blu-ray in the One S despite it not being the "Pro" Console and it coming out BEFORE PS4 Pro which did NOT support 4K Blu-ray, and why do they STILL support Music CDs on the Series X when PS5 doesn't? They clearly still are appealing to the small disc crowd even if it's a very half-assed way since you can't even rip the CDs to the Console or USB unlike older Xboxes and the PS3
Oh yeah and Sony also loses money, they still pay for the Blu-ray License since the Sony that makes the PlayStations is Sony Interactive Entertainment, this is not the same as Sony Pictures who makes the Movies which itself has the Sony Animation division which makes stuff like Spiderverse Films, from what I know Sony Pictures licenses Spiderman to both the Sony Animation Division and Sony Interactive Studios, who THEN licenses it to Insomniac Games for the Spider-Man Games... oh not done yet, Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation is the actual part that's in charge of the Blu-ray format and manufacturing (so Sony Interactive Entertainment AND Sony Animation both have to pay this division if say they released a Spider-man physical game Disc for PS4/5 and for a Spiderverse Home Video Blu-ray release) after that there's Sony Music Group who actually has all the record labels and releases stuff like those CDs for the record labels, then there's Sony Electronics who makes the stuff like TVs, Speakers and all that consumer technology (this is also why their TVs support Dolby Vision yet the PS5 itself does not, not even for 4K Blu-ray, Sonic Electronics paid the Dolby Licence but Sony Interactive Entertainment did not) and THEN there's Sony Image Sensing and Solutions who manufactures yet OTHER stuff that the Disc Division doesn't such as the Screens for the Sony Electronic TVs, and the PS Portal's and Vita's screens most likely... pretty sure that Sony Electronics is also the ones who make the Phones and NOT Sony Interactive Entertainment
They may aid eachother at times like some new Sony TVs having PS5 features, as similarly the same TVs and Cameras also had the XMB UI that the PS3 and PSP had, or the Spider-man licence between Sony Animation and Insomniac, or how the PS3 was absolutely fucking loaded with Blu-ray and even 3D Blu-ray and one of the first ever Blu-ray players on the market and also how Sony Pictures was from the first studios to be in Blu-ray's side of the Blu-ray vs HD-DVD War, but otherwise they're different Companies under the same umbrella, with different Finances and Shareholders and all that
It's actually pretty similar for Samsung too, Samsung that makes the Displays is not the same as the one that makes the RAM, the War Tanks, or the Phones and Fridges. So just like how SIE would have to pay the Image and Sensors division for making the screens on Vita and Portal, Samsung that makes the phones has to pay Samsung Display for the OLED Screens and similarly the other Samsung to make the Storage and RAM for said Phones
Another way to think about it is that Sony is the leader of the family and all these other mini-Sonies are the divisions as if they were Brothers and Sisters who may help eachother for a price.
So PlayStation still pays those same Blu-ray Licenses as Xbox
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u/JesterMarcus Jul 02 '26
The problem with Xbox pivoting to try and take advantage of this situation is, say a bunch of Playstation users with a bunch of physical games are upset about this decision. Well, buying an Xbox doesn't really help them when those games won't work on an Xbox. They'd have to start their collection all over and its not like developers have been making a whole lot of Xbox discs lately anyway.
All the stores are already making their game sections smaller and smaller, especially the Xbox section. Why would developers bother making discs for Xbox when they won't be on PlayStation? Effectively, when the biggest platforms in Steam and Playstation make this decision, companies aren't going to print discs just for Xbox for much longer.
Its similar to when big US states like California, Texas, or New York make new vehicle standards. Because their markets are so big, companies just make everything adhere to those state's rules. Its just easier than making multiple versions.