Sony and Nintendo both make video game consoles, so surely they are competition for each other right?

Well I've had conflicting thoughts on the matter.  In some ways they definitely are in competition, and in some ways they are not.  So I'm going to lay out my for's and against's and see if a conclusion can be made.

Arguments in favour of the notion that Sony and Nintendo are in competition.

1) Both companies make video game hardware, and want you to spend time in their closed garden enviroment.

2) Money for most is limited, and you can only spend so much disposable income on video games.  So you need to pick who you are spending it with.

3) There must be "Core" gamers on both systems.  Otherwise why would games like Skyrim or the Witcher 3 be on both systems?

4) Many people are limited by time and storage space, so they pick one system to own and thats it.

Arguments against the notion that Sony and Nintendo are in competition.

1) Metallica and Taylor Swift are both in the same business.  Selling music and concert tickets, but serve different parts of the market.  Sony and Nintendo do the same.

2) Many "Core" users buy both systems anyway and spend time and money in both walled gardens.

3) Switch is treated as a portable system that gamers use when away from the home, where as the PlayStation stays in front of the big TV and is used when gamers are at home.

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After reflection, I think the answer is actually very nauanced and very much depends on what sort of user we are talking about.  Young/adult, causal/core, income, etc.  All of these change per person, but very much reflect if the user actually has to make a dollar choice between the two systems.

All arguments for the fact Sony and Nintendo are competing are cristal clear. I do not have to repeat them. For the arguments against competition i can only smile:

1.) Metallica and Taylor Swift are both musicians. Both target the same market: MUSIC. Of course the audience is different but that is no excuse. Only because Swift outclasses a Metallica show, gets more grammys and is more in the Spotlight, does not make her "non comparable". I remember some years ago there was a news for the german band Scooter: They surpassed Michael Jackson in Top 10 hits in germany. It was 2009 i think... Nobody complained you cannot compare them because of a so called "different target group" In the 90s Nick Carter's (Backstreet Boys) Brother Aron earned a Golden Bravo Otto (Bravo- biggest youth magazine ever) and Michael Jackson got a Silver Otto. Nobody complained because of a "different target group" expect some hardcore Jacko fanboys😉 Everything is music and can be compared! Only because a musician you do not like is more sucessfull than your prefered singer does not make him/ her incomparable!
2.) Thats an argument FOR competition between Sony and Nintendo
3.) What else? Only because one system is portable does not make it a non competitior!! And: You can also use it docked!😉

How do I reply to this without getting a moderation warning?

Yes, they are

When next gen begins it may be : (Nintendo & Xbox) vs (Playstation). Nin and box have been getting pretty cozy.

Definitely not competing. It's just what everyone on this website tells themselves for some reason or another. Who knows. Saying the Switch is competing with PS5 is like saying a WW2 british spitfire plane is competing with an F-35 fighter jet. makes no sense

I would argue Nintendo absolutely crushes Sony on the parameters that matter. Software sales, brand strength and profit. On these aspects Sony can't hold a candle to Nintendo. In that regard Nintendo is a Giant brown bear and Sony a small black bear. Technically they compete but one is so dominant that it is not bothered by the other.

That's because Microsoft is losing the console wars. They're trying to bolster their position by allying themselves with the dominant Japanese console maker. They're probably also checking Nintendo over for a place to stick the knife. I doubt that getting laughed out of Kyoto 25 years ago quashed their ambitions to seize control of Nintendo. 

For its part, Nintendo no doubt doesn't mind Call of Duty or Doom: The Dark Age being on Switch 2. But they should be very wary of Microsoftians bearing gifts.

They're definitely somewhat competing with each other for our time investment. 

Although I don't think Sony views Nintendo like they do Microsoft or even Valve. However, with the successor of the PlayStation Portal, I think Sony will be aiming to take some of that mobile market from Nintendo.

Both are competing for everyone's time and money, and because of that I think they are in direct competition.