PS4 vs. Xbox One: Sony Winning Console War with Microsoft, But Will PC Be the True Winner?
With the holiday season just beginning, the console war between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One is far from over. According to a report, however, the PS4 won the first battle by outselling the Xbox One in November.
MCV reports that in the United States, the PS4 sold 66 percent more consoles than the Xbox One during the month of November. Michael Pachter, Wedbush Securities analyst, recently told investors that the PS4 sold an estimated 1.25 million consoles, and the Xbox One only sold 750,000 consoles. It is important to note that the PS4 was released a week earlier than the Xbox One. The PS4 was released Nov. 15, while the Xbox One did not become available until Nov. 22.
Why is the PS4 winning the console war thus far? The Xbox One was marketed as the new living room hub for entertainment, while the PS4 has mostly been described as a new and improved video game console. According to Pachter, the answer is simple: money talks.
The Xbox One is priced starting at $499, while the PS4 is $100 cheaper at $399.
"The reason Sony beats Microsoft is solely the price," Pachter told GI.biz. "Microsoft loses the next generation unless they cut price. If Microsoft drops its price to $399, I expect the sales to be equal to the PS4."
As of Dec. 3, PS4 sales rose to over 2.1 million, which includes worldwide sales based on both consumer and retailer purchases. Xbox One has not yet released its updated numbers.
Still, Pachter says neither the PS4 nor the Xbox One will truly win the console war. The real victor of gaming will go to the PC.
"The next generation of consoles is probably the last," Pachter said. "We expect frequent model updates instead of new consoles. I think the PC is going to make a comeback, the PC will be the hub of all this stuff."
Meanwhile, the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U are all losers of the war, with sales falling 28 percent, 44 percent and 65 percent respectively.
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