ThePS5and Xbox Series X consoles have been going head-to-head since launch. This is just the most recent generation of the ongoing competition between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, and not even a global pandemic has stopped it. However, one industry analyst believes that thePS5will outperform the Xbox Series X this year by a significant amount.
The recent announcement that Microsoft is planning to purchase Activision Blizzard has sent ripples through the industry. Apparently, the news has also sent theprice of Sony’s stock plummeting. However, this may not have as much of an impact on the companies as some gamers might expect.
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Ampere research director Piers Harding-Rolls was recently asked how consumer demand in the video game console industry would evolve in 2022, especially considering thepressure caused by component shortages. According to Harding-Rolls, the result of these combined factors is that Sony will likely sell 18 million PS5 consoles this year to Xbox’s nine million consoles. It appears that his logic is rooted in the fact that the PS5 is still handily outselling its competitor in the global arena, although social media may have painted a different picture of late. However, he also predicts that the true victor of this battle will be another company entirely.
Apparently, Nintendo is expected to pull out ahead of both Sony and Microsoft. Harding-Rolls predicts that both of the new consoles will be surpassed in demand and sales by the Nintendo Switch, which has a history ofpassing incredible sales milestones. He states that although he expects the PS5 to sell twice as many units as the Xbox Series X, he also expects the Nintendo Switch to sell a total of 21 million units–around three million more units than the PS5.
Reportedly, these numbers stem from Harding-Rolls' assumption that the availability of thePS5and Xbox Series X consoles will slowly increase over the coming year. However, he confirms that the sales numbers he predicts for the Nintendo Switch will be driven by demand forthe Nintendo Switch OLED. This updated version of the Nintendo Switch isn’t truly a new console, but it certainly appears to be a new iteration on a tried and true formula. It’s very possible that a significant number of gamers might want to upgrade to a new device, especially if the aging Nintendo Switch is their primary console of choice.
