Nintendo and PlayStation Don’t Seem to Be Competing Anymore
When it comes to the console war, Nintendo has completely opted out. And that may be because they’ve created a league of their own. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One go head to head, seeking the same audience. Turns out, however, most people own two consoles and their choice combination favors both Sony and Nintendo.
Sony Interactive Entertainment America Head Shawn Layden noticed the two-console trend, saying the following: “When you look at our numbers, I think it shows that a lot of gamers are a two-console family. And quite often those two consoles are PlayStation and Nintendo sitting side-by-side.” Even though Sony and Nintendo are in the same trade, they differ significantly in terms of hardware and software.
Furthermore, the two-console household makes more sense this generation. Now that Nintendo has gone portable, gamers are combining that portability with the power of other hardware. Thus, gamers directly compare PS4 and Xbox One hardware benefits and–as we’ve seen recently–software. With the PlayStation 4, players are not only getting access to big multiplatform releases but their growing list of desirable exclusives. At the same time, Nintendo’s offerings hardly compare since they offer a completely unique line of content.
Since Nintendo is self-aware, they no longer place themselves in direct competition with Sony or Microsoft. People who want Nintendo products aren’t searching for the same thing in other consoles. Therefore, Sony doesn’t see Nintendo as a rival. You can even say they’re co-existing by this point.
Things may change, however, once Scorpio makes its debut at E3 2017. The whole industry is watching and wondering if the new console will actually be a game changer. Unless Xbox can offer more first-party games, however, Sony won’t lose any sleep. As for Nintendo, they haven’t lost sleep since the launch of the Wii in 2006.
But what are your thoughts on Layden’s comments? Are you surprised that households choose PS4 with the Switch? Let us know in the comments below. And stay tuned for important updates come E3.
Happy gaming.