[Kipters]

Even in more recent times, the entire PS5 life thus far has been riddled with consumer-hostile behavior (promising free upgrades and then walking back from it, forcing people to use the new controllers even if the PS4 ones are perfectly capable to play the new games, increasing prices of games and consoles, bullying companies so they don't support cross-platform play etc)

[jeppester]

I don't think Sony are by any means "good guys". But I think some of your criticism lacks a bit of nuance.

> promising free upgrades and then walking back from it

When did they do this? As I remember they did not promise free upgrades, but was forced to provide them anyway for some games because of the backlash.

> forcing people to use the new controllers even if the PS4 ones are perfectly capable to play the new games

This is an interesting topic. The PS5 controller is one of the console's key selling points over competing consoles. I can definitely understand why they would want to ensure that game developers support that controller specifically. Otherwise its features would likely not be used as much by third party games, which would be a shame.

Obviously Sony factored the additional earnings from controller sales into their decision to enact this artificial limitation. But I think there's more to it than just consumer hostility.

> increasing prices of games and consoles

They were the first company to increase the price of their AAA games, which everyone has since done as well.

How did they raise the price of consoles?

> bullying companies so they don't support cross-platform play

Definitely consumer-hostile. Luckily things have changed for the better in this generation due to better competition I guess. I would just wish that more games would have "console only" crossplay.

[Kipters]

Thanks for the polite comment!

> When did they do this? As I remember they did not promise free upgrades, but was forced to provide them anyway for some games because of the backlash.

It's been a while, but I think it was with Horizon Forbidden West

> PS4 controllers

I agree this one needed a bit more nuance. I understand they wanted to incentivize the new controller features, but it's the fact that the PS5 is technically capable of using those controllers (since you can use them for PS4 games) but Sony chooses to not allow it that's anti-consumer. Also since you can use PS4 controllers to play streamed PS5 games on PC or PS4 itself.

> How did they raise the price of consoles?

In August 2022 they increased the console price by ~10% pretty much all over the world except the US. Microsoft did the same in June 2023.