PlayStation surprise 2026 hardware has fans concerned over price

Did you tune into the recent State of Play?

PlayStation’s reveal event didn’t exactly garner rave reviews, but there’s a very likely reason for that.

You see, when fans tune into a State of Play, they’re hoping to hear about what’s coming up in PlayStation’s first-party pipeline and, well, this State of Play was almost completely void of that.

Team Asobi surfaced to confirm that an extra five challenge levels will soon land in Astro Bot, and it was revealed that Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei will be getting its own State of Play next month.

For the most part though, the showcase was filled with third-party reveals including for 007 First Light, Silent Hill f, and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

Sony did take the time to announce some new hardware, however.

In addition to revealing that a revised version of the Astro Bot DualSense will be going on sale later this year, Sony also unveiled Project Defiant - PlayStation’s very first fight stick.

Project Defiant is a codename with the full title yet to be confirmed.

Credit / Sony

We do know though that this tech will be compatible with both PS5 and PC, offering “wireless connectivity with ultra-low latency”.

The hardware features custom-designed controls, a slim ergonomic design, a storage compartment for your restrictor gates and PS Link USB adaptor, and a sling carry case.

The product is due to launch in 2026, with its name and launch date to be confirmed in the coming months.

It’s a nice bit of kit if you’re into fighting games, but fans are concerned about one thing: Project Defiant’s pricing.

As I said, no pricing has yet been confirmed, but fans are convinced it’ll be on the expensive side.

“If it’s affordable, I’ll get one but not keeping the hopes high,” wrote Reddit user _Prashantsharma_.

“I need the price. If they make it not expensive they will sell A LOT of units. Mine included,” added robyaha.

“It's gotta be sold lower than 150$ USD to be successful,” Street_Dress2453 remarked.

Of course, as soon as official pricing does land, we’ll be sure to update you.