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PS5 Expected To Sell Twice As Well As Xbox Series X Over 5-Year Lifespan
The PlayStation 5 is predicted to have a shortened five-year lifespan, but still outpace lifetime sales of the Xbox Series X and the PS4. The PS5’s sales numbers could be boosted by special editions of the console, which Sony has already confirmed are coming after launch.
Sony still hasn’t announced when its next-gen console will be launching or even when players will be able to preorder one, but it has said that it will reveal when preorders are going live ahead of time. That should make it easier for PlayStation fans to get their next-generation consoles as soon as they’re available, as should Sony’s recent decision to step up production of launch units. PS5 consoles were originally expected to be in short supply around launch before Sony ordered production increased.
According to tech-focused newspaper Digitimes, sources with knowledge of Sony’s supply chain are predicting that the PS5 will be a big win for Sony despite it having a shorter lifetime. Digitimes reports that Sony is expected to ship between 120 million and 170 million PS5 consoles over the next five years. It also says that the console’s life cycle will only last for those five years, as compared to the seven years that the PS4 has been around. Even with a shortened lifespan, those numbers would put the PS5 above the PS4’s lifetime sales of 110 million units. Perhaps more importantly for Sony, Digitimes also reports that the PS5 is expected to sell around twice as many units as the Xbox Series X.
Microsoft and Sony have been duking it out over everything from tech specs to exclusive games, and excitement seems high for both consoles, making the prediction that PS5 sales will be double those of the Xbox Series X sound a little odd. However, a big part of Microsoft’s strategy is getting games onto Xbox Game Pass, many of which can be played on the Xbox One and PC as well as its next-gen console. That means that it could be far less reliant on console sales as a sign of success than Sony.
Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are highly anticipated consoles, but the predictions from Digitimes are still somewhat surprising. Sony and Microsoft haven’t quite made the case for their next-gen consoles as massive leaps over their predecessors, and they both seem to be in for rocky launches given ongoing problems from the coronavirus pandemic. The report from Digitimes would be good news for Sony if it pans out, even as it illustrates the difference in next-gen strategy between it and Microsoft.
