Alternate history: Microsoft never joins the console race

[Wman1996]

SanAndreasX said:

Wman1996 said:

Yes. The cons of that would be less online infrastructure including weaker subscription gaming services. The pros would be more complete and stable games for longer and some delaying of microtransactions. 

I would strongly prefer this. I don't play online much anymore except Mario Kart and fighting games. Online functionality to the degree we have now has been a net negative.

Yes. I wouldn't be surprised if in a situation without Xbox and online infrastructure about a generation behind that PS5 is unveiled like Xbox One.

-Online check-ins every 24 hours (or maybe they'd do it weekly)

-Used game headaches. It might've been digital-only out of the box with the disc drive purely as a separate accessory. 

-Region locking

-Some new gimmick like Kinect or Kinect 2.0 that is forced. 

And the backlash would likely be a lot, though how similar to 2013's Xbox One is like everything else speculation. Perhaps Sony is so emboldened by not having a direct competition that they stay the course through the launch of PS5 even with backlash.