Sony Considering New Studio Acquisitions Ahead of PS5 Launch

The Sony portfolio might be getting bigger ahead of the PlayStation 5's launch. In an interview with Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan, it seems the focus is as much on content as it is new hardware.

Speaking to Nikkei—translated via Gematsu—Ryan says the company is considering the merger and acquisition of new game development companies. Ryan says with companies like Google entering the fray with their Stadia streaming service, "content is becoming more important than ever before."

While big names like Google can shake things up, Sony has a history in game development and publishing, something Ryan emphasizes in the interview. "Sony Interactive Entertainment has 25 years of experience in the games industry and has big assets," says Ryan.

Though we're still waiting on the big reveal of the PlayStation 5, we do know from various quotes and presentations that Sony's looking to ensure it has that wealth of content on launch. Through channels like backwards compatibility that would allow PS5 users to still play against PS4 users and a focus on streaming in next-gen consoles, delivering that content should be easy.

Whether it ever ends up coming to other platforms, similar to how Microsoft is open to the idea of Xbox Game Pass on Switch, remains to be seen. Those efforts would certainly be bolstered by the acquisition of some new studios on Sony's part. Much like Microsoft's big round of studio acquisitions turned into a lot of new titles announced at their press conference during E3 2019, maybe Sony could end up doing the same.