VAMatt said:
At the start of this generation, consumers chose the console with the lowest price point. Gamers have proven time and time again to be very price-sensitive when it comes to hardware purchases. So, if one of these Xbox devices is cheaper than the lowest cost PlayStation 5, that will certainly go a long way to driving Xbox sales. Of course, Sony knows this. So, they very well may do something similar. |
It's not about price, but value. That's why even after MS had all of those firesales on the XBO, the PS4 stayed ahead. People knew it was a less powerful system, and had a smaller library, so even if it was $50-$100 cheaper, it didn't help in the long run and the gap continued to grow. In EU, the PS is just going to win regardless. PS is just a much larger brand there and people are loyal because of the continued value of the PS line. Same goes for Japan, when making it a Sony vs MS battle. If MS prices the XB2 base model for $50-$100 less than the PS5, but it is quite a bit weaker than it, than the value just won't be there. Gamers will want a real jump in power from last gen, which includes the mid-gen systems.
It's also important to note that Sony has more bargaining power when it comes to component prices, after selling 100M+ PS4s. They will be able to get a better performance for the same price. So, I imagine that the PS5 will not be that far behind the XB2X, but can still cost ~$399, while the XB2X may be a little more powerful, but cost $499. It'll once again fall into that sweet spot for price and performance balance. It'll also be easy to see that power when the tech wizards at Sony's 1st party studios start to release game footage.
