We are in the third month of 2018 and there have been leaks around Sony’s PlayStation 5.
We had seen a few ‘leaked’ surveys which had intended to ask what features that the fans would want like to see in the PS5.
The PS5 news is about the release date and when Sony may drop the next flagship console.
While speaking to GamingBolt, NPD analyst, Mat Piscatella had said that the sales for PS4’s will be great, but realistically it would fall. When having been asked if there is a possibility that the console may sell 100 million units by the end of 2019, Piscatella had said:
“Hardware units are mainly driven by content and pricing strategies. I’m interested in seeing how the PS4’s price point changes over the year both in base price as well as in promotional pricing. I do expect the PS4 to have another great year of sales, but I do expect it to be down versus 2018.”
Gamingbolt has asked when would be the right time for Sony to launch PlayStation 5:
“2020 is what I have in my forecast. The data suggest there’s no need to do it earlier. But I’ve been surprised before so I’m as interested in this as anyone.”
The analysis echoes sentiments that are shared by ArsTechnica.com after the release of the financials of Sony, 2017.
“Shipments of the PlayStation 4 were down, from 9.7 million units a year ago to 9 million, resulting in a slight downward trend in hardware revenue,” remarked Gamesindustry.biz last month.
ArsTechnica.com had an opinion piece which suggested that the PS4 might have peaked:
“It seems likely that Sony’s annual shipments for the PS4 will never climb higher than that number based on historical analysis … With the end of 2017, the PS4 has reached the end of its fourth full year on the market, and the console seems set to begin its long decline in annual sales.”
This site went on to suggest that the PS4 peak may start a countdown to PlayStation 5. The 2020 release surely does fit with all past predictions. While speaking on The 1099 Podcast, Wedbush Securities Analyst, Michael Pachter had said:
“I think that’s exactly when you’ll see one (PS5) 2019 or 2020, and if I had to bet, it’s 2020. Sony’s making so much money with the PS4 that I think they’ll continue to milk it as long as they can milk it. And I think the natural extension of that is the PS4 Pro becomes the default PS4, and they just knock that price down to $250 when they can and they keep selling it — a tonne of those. The PS5 is probably going to be their real 4K device, and so it just feels to me that they’re not going to launch the PS5 until sales momentum for the PS4 slows, and it just hasn’t. So you certainly get through 2017, 2018, and I just don’t see it slowing in 2018 which should prop them to launch something in 2019. If it slows in 2019, they’re probably launching in 2020.”
An industry expert, Christopher Dring had told his followers on Twitter that he was hearing a few rumours of “Sony slowing up progress on PS5 rattling around for a few months”.
The future for the three console makers does seem a bit complicated, but we do have a good idea of what they are planning. Nintendo is digging in for a long haul with Nintendo Switch. Microsoft is treading new grounds with Xbox One X, worlds most powerful console. Sony is content with the PS4 (Pro) and its sale may be declining.
Their latest report had highlighted a 50% operating profit increase from ¥50 billion to ¥85.4 billion ($778m).