Are PS5 and Xbox One Announcements Near?
The PS4 and Xbox One might both be over five years old, but they have been performing much better than anyone expected in terms of sales. Given this momentum, many people are questioning whether the next generation needs to come around as fast as previous console cycles.
NPD analyst Mat Piscatella was recently asked how long the consoles can maintain their momentum. In response, he said he believes that they will likely decline in popularity next year, which is when he thinks the PS5 and new Xbox will be announced.
How long do you think this type of momentum can last? Seems like it could drop fast
— Justin (@roboplato) November 23, 2018
As of now, 2020 seems like the most likely launch year for the new consoles, so a 2019 announcement makes sense. In fact, rumors have been surfacing about Sony revealing the PS5 in 2019. Conversely, CEO Tsuyoshi John Kodera said earlier this year that the next PlayStation is still three years away.
In terms of what to expect from the systems, former Sony Interactive Entertainment chief Andrew House believed that cloud-based streaming will play a big role in future gaming consoles, which could very likely mean that PS5 and next Xbox.
“If you look back at console gaming history, there are certain inflection points that allow for the industry to be upended and for new participants to emerge,” he said. “One of those is when you have a wholesale shift in the distribution method.
“In content-based industries, that is what is creating barriers to entry for people to come in. So, other than the technical challenges, there’s no reason why game streaming can’t be present in games in the same way that we have seen in the music and film and television industries.
“The evidence I draw on was the original launch of PlayStation. That wasn’t based on 3D graphics alone. The vision was to shift from expensive cartridges to more accessible and cheaper disks. Dropping that barrier allowed developers to take more risks. Streaming could be the next inflection point. But the business model has to be thought through.”