The price war of next-gen consoles is heating up

Next-gen consoles are around the corner now. Both PS5 and Xbox Series X will be released probably in November, within two or three weeks as it seems. At this moment, we still don’t have a clear picture of which system will have an advantage, but what we do know is that the price might be one for the key arguments.

History lesson

Wherever you look in the past, you’ll see examples that show you that lowered priced console is the one that sells better. Going back to the 32-bit era, PlayStation annihilated Sega Saturn because the initial price was 300 dollars, which is a hundred less than Sega Saturn. But with the release of PS3, Sony was on the receiving end. Even though PS2 was the dominant force and still best-selling console of all time, what happened is that Xbox 360 not launched earlier, but at a better price. PS3 was sold for 500 and 600 dollars, which made it a tough sell. Even though PS3 was ultimately at the same or even better graphical level than Xbox 360, and even it had a great number of exclusive, it took a long before it was able to match it’s rival. Plus, the final numbers were far bellow of what was done with PS2. Not even gay sex games could save PS3, and it gives it more substantial numbers. Finally, we come to the current gen era. Initially, Microsoft planned to make Kinect mandatory for Xbox One, meaning that the console would be sold for a hundred dollars more. Even though the company quickly changed that decision, it was too late. As the same rivals are going to the battle once more, the situation is more complicated than ever.

Price Vs. the power

Starting with Wii, Nintendo decided it will exit the power race, meaning that their subsequent consoles like Wii U and now Switch were pretty cheap to produce. Nintendo was all about innovation and first-party games like Zelda or Mario that are still selling like hotcakes. But, Microsoft and Sony don’t have that luxury. They feel the pressure to produce the best possible performance, but at the same time, they need to think about the price point. As they’ve learned, even a hundred dollars difference can make or break a console. Even if the more expensive product is better, it’s not easy to convince customers of the same. Microsoft has a unique strategy this time, as it will produce two versions of consoles. While that is not a new concept (we saw it in PS3 and Xbox 360 era), this time, things are a lot different, as the more expensive console will have stronger performances. That way, customers will be free to choose whichever version they like the most. Based on that, the cheaper version may be sold for 400 dollars, while the more expensive one might go as high as 600 dollars.

But, Sony has different plans, it seems. They are on track to produce a single version of the console that will contain the best possible technology, while also willing to sell it at a loss. Experts are predicting that the lowest reasonable price will probably be 450 dollars, while it might go as high as 600 dollars. Even if someone from Sony would be willing to speak about the subject, they would probably tell us that they have no idea about the final price. Of course, their decision will have a lot to do with what Microsoft decides.

The games factor

In the ideal world, games should decide the winner of the next-gen console race, and MrPornGeek visitors agree on that. Sony is looking stronger than ever in that aspect, based at least on what is going on in the current-gen system. Only in 2020, PS4 will see huge hits like Ghost of Tsushima or Last of Us Part II, which are both looking incredible, even for PC standards. Next-gen ports of these exclusive will boost the sale of PS5 and make it popular like virtual sex games. That is why Microsoft will have to do the same, and offer that content that was lacking on Xbox One.

Whatever happens, we are sure that the winners will be gamers who will get a new generation of consoles at the lowest possible price, and games that should top even the highest expectations. This will be an exciting year, and we can’t wait to hear more about what is coming next.