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PS5 Will Significantly Outsell Xbox Series X, Say Industry Analysts
Games industry analysts are predicting that the PlayStation 5 will "significantly outsell" the Xbox Series X when both next-gen consoles hit store shelves this holiday season. With both new systems now fully revealed to the public, the latest stage of the age-old console wars is now in full swing as Microsoft and Sony compete for players' hard-earned cash.
At first, Microsoft took an aggressive lead in promoting their Xbox Series X console, unveiling it way back in 2019 while Sony took the slower approach of dripping out piecemeal details surrounding their own PlayStation 5. However, Sony would soon catch up with a vengeance in June thanks to their massively successful PS5 reveal stream, bolstered by such high-profile first-party exclusives as Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart. Since then, Microsoft has been struggling to catch up by showing off the equally anticipated yet questionably marketed Halo: Infinite, even gaining a new mascot in the form of a grumpy Brute named Craig.
Now, the analysts at DFC Intelligence have indicated that Sony might take the lead in the first few months of the new console generation. In an article by Wccftech.com, the games industry research firm predicts that the PS5 will earn higher sales than the Xbox Series X at launch by a margin of 2-to-1, citing Sony's "strong brand preference" among consumers and Xbox's relative weakness in Japanese markets as contributing factors. Not to sell Microsoft short, the DFC analysts also noted that the Series X might gain ground in the long run due to the ever-popular Xbox Game Pass and Sony’s focus of “short-term” gains rather than the bigger long-term picture.
As the PS5 and Series X near their planned holiday release dates, industry insiders have begun to weigh in on which system they prefer. Back in June, top Epic Games engineer Nick Penwarden praised the PS5 as a “masterpiece of system design,” on top of other comments made regarding the console’s cutting-edge graphical prowess. On the other hand, legendary Valve co-founder Gabe Newell stated that he preferred the Xbox Series X during an interview on an Australian talk show last month, standing firm in his assertion that it looks to be “a better console.”
Of course, the decision of which system will come out on top ultimately falls to the consumers, and there are still many unknown factors in determining which console they will gravitate towards. So far, neither Sony nor Microsoft has revealed the price for their upcoming consoles, which will likely be the biggest decision point for many given recent issues like COVID-19. Still, DFC Intelligence's findings do line up with Sony's more successful marketing of the PlayStation 5 in comparison to Microsoft’s more divisive handling of the Xbox Series X in recent months, even if its still too early to tell how things will end up. If these predictions are true, Sony could be looking for continued success in the gaming market when their new console arrives later this year.
