hardware pricing - Adjacent

Jul 4

Why Gaming Hardware No Longer Defines Console Makers

PlayStation's shift away from physical media and Xbox's pivot toward subscription services reflect a move away from hardware-centric business models. Console prices are rising rather than falling despite generational advances, making the old math of selling loss-leader hardware to capture software sales unworkable. This forces manufacturers to question whether owning the box matters when they can reach players across phones, PCs, and streaming devices. Power in gaming is shifting from manufacturers to whoever controls the distribution layer. The console as a distinct product category is becoming less central to the industry's structure.

theme-connected hardware pricing supply chain device economics

Jun 1

Rising hardware costs collide with unreliable supply chains

Source: The Register: Biting the hand that feeds

The Steam Deck's price pressures aren't isolated hardware economics—they reflect systemic failures in component sourcing and manufacturing rippling across consumer electronics and infrastructure. Rocket explosions disrupting satellite launches, chip shortages, and manufacturing constraints mean companies can no longer count on predictable cost curves or reliable delivery timelines. This is forcing a reckoning with just-in-time supply assumptions that have underwritten tech pricing for two decades.