The PlayStation 4 has snagged the early worldwide sales lead. Sony has moved 4.2 million units while Microsoft has sold 3 million Xbox Ones.
The hot question, tackled by journalists and gamers alike, is: “Can Sony maintain that lead, or will Microsoft assume control in 2014?” A secondary question involves the US, and whether or not the PS4 can actually win back this particular region. Remember, the Xbox 360 dominated the US market for the past six or seven years.
Well, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter has a general answer. During the latest Bonus Round episode (as cited by GameRevolution), he was asked if the PS4 could continue to outperform the Xbox One. His answer will delight Sony followers:
“They’ve won as long as they have a $100 price advantage. Microsoft will not turn that around. It’s not possible.”
“They’ve won as long as they have a $100 price advantage. Microsoft will not turn that around. It’s not possible.”
Pachter doesn’t think the value of Kinect and the system’s TV features will be enough. For the average gamer, they just see a lofty $500 price tag, and Sony continually reminds everyone that in fact, the PS4 offers quite a bit for $100 less.
Price could be the single biggest factor
I think the available software is the biggest motivating factor when it comes to game hardware. For hardcore enthusiasts, that’s definitely true. However, as the majority of the market these days qualifies as “casual,” price may be top on the priority list. $100 is a lot, especially when you’ve still got to buy games and accessories. So, maybe Pachter is right–unless Microsoft issues a price drop (perhaps offer the Xbox One without Kinect), Sony might not just maintain their lead… they might start to pull away.
