2020 is going to be a major year in the video game industry, with both thePlayStation 5 and the next-generation Xboxlaunching. Since little is officially confirmed about the consoles, fans are left with speculation and educated opinions from industry analysts. Analyst Piers Harding-Rolls of IHS Markit Technology has some thoughts about the PS5 and next Xbox’s chances of success.
Harding-Rolls' first prediction about the two new consoles is really an extension of the current state of the industry. In 2020, Harding-Rolls expects the PS5 to outsell theXbox Series X console. He also expects both consoles to outsell the PS4 and Xbox One’s launch numbers from 2013. Harding-Rolls justifies this prediction as buyers avoiding “brand switching” due to loyalty and features like backward compatibility making switching less attractive.
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Another interesting prediction from Harding-Rolls is regarding both thePS4 and the Xbox Series X’s pricing. According to the analyst, they expect the prices of both consoles to be similar. He also doesn’t believe the price will be higher than the PS4 launch price. As such, they predict a price of $399 or lower for both consoles.
However, Harding-Rolls does leave himself with an out regarding pricing. If Microsoft chooses to go with a higher price point, something above $399, then they would be more likely to launch with two consoles (as rumored). This way, Microsoft could compete at a lower price point while also offering a higher-priced andmore powerful Xbox console. This decision would “add complexity around marketing and consumer education,” however, and is a decision Harding-Rolls disagrees with.
The analyst also mentions the Nintendo Switch in comparison to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Namely, Harding-Rolls believes that the Nintendo Switch will be the top-selling console in 2020, outselling both Sony and Microsoft’s new console. He also doesn’t believe that it’s unlikely that Nintendo will release a higher-end Switch console in 2020 despite rumors, what with the impressive sales of both the standard Nintendo Switch and the handheldNintendo Switch Lite. They also go as far as saying that 2020 will be the Switch’s best sales year since its launch, in part due to the Switch Lite’s launch in China.
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