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Analyst: “Playstation 4 Pro Could Spell Big Trouble for Xbox One”

With the announcement of the PlayStation 4 Pro last week, Sony got a very important head-start on Microsoft and its bold Project Scorpio endeavours. Set for release in late 2017, Project Scorpio is seen as a genuine next generation console release for Microsoft, and they’ve told consumers to wait for it. In the meantime, they have at least a year where they need to stimulate and maintain Xbox One sales. According to DFC Intelligence, a leading market research firm, that may not bode well for the company, as Sony is positioned to provide an all-round compelling proposition for gamers.

“Really this could be a final nail in the coffin for Xbox One now that Microsoft has told consumers to wait until 2017 (for Scorpio). Sony will have the powerful system with VR now and a well-executed plan that leaves consumers no reason to wait.” These were the words of DFC Intelligence’s David Cole, who believes that Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro not only provides consumers a powerful future-proof console but importantly they provide it here and now.

Sony’s Lead System Architect Mark Cerny went to great lengths at the Playstation Meeting to outline the gritty details of the Pro. While the average user may have found some of his technical jargon hard to understand, it spoke a lot about the endeavours of Sony and Microsoft moving forward. Specs are important, and Sony has fired a well-timed shot in the war between the companies.

While its no secret that Project Scorpio is set to be a powerhouse, timing is everything in the gaming world. 12 months is a long time for Microsoft to try and strike a balance between convincing gamers to hold out for Scorpio, while still promoting and selling Xbox One consoles. Alternatively, Sony has provided a powerful VR ready console, and importantly is set to release it this year. They now have a critical time gap on the Xbox, and Microsoft will need to do something special over the next year to keep up.

The PlayStation 4 Pro is set to launch in Australia on November 10th for $559.95 AUD.

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  • People are hyping up the X1S saying it has HDR and UHD BD, both of which require a 4k TV. The problem is it doesn't game in 4k which is what the system should do first and foremost. It doesn't even upscale to 4k which is what it should do first and foremost, yet the PS4 Pro which at minimum attempts to game in 4k is bad? Smdh!

    Also what's with this paying $400 for the Pro? If you have an OG PS4 common sense should tell you to trade it in for some cash towards getting the Pro. If you don't already own a PS4 then the Pro would be the better choice over the Slim if you can afford it, with or without a 4k tv.

  • I have a ps4 and have only owned 1 xbox in my life which was the 360. Having said that, Microsoft has nothing to worry about whatsoever. Sony continues to turn their backs on their consumers. Only reason to get a ps4 pro if u already own a ps4 is if u are wealthy enough to blow money left and right. Theres not enough improvement to warrant a new console. Ppl said VR was a gimmick but the Pro is Sonys gimmick. This has easily been the most underwhelming console generation so far in history. Maybe if 75% of the games this gen were actually from this gen and not remasters or if Sony stops lying about their products...They are the ones refusing to allow cross plat gaming. They are tight about mods. They are out of the loop. Ive just grown tired of their broken ideas. The VR is the only thing that has me holding on. Ill definitely be getting the Xb Scorpio over the Pro. Ill stick w my current ps4 until the Scorpio releases.

  • I've been playing console games since Atari. Every generation I've owned 2 to 3 systems and from my point of view, here's the reality... and history is likely going to repeat itself.

    The home console market comes down to 3 critical fail points and console power is NOT one of them;

    1) Come to the home gaming console market earlier than your competitor
    2) Come to market with a less expensive product
    3) Have large 3rd party support. Games sell systems... not the console itself

    This happens again and again. Intellivision vs Atari, NES vs Sega Master system... but here are some more recent examples;

    - PS1 (total games over 7,000) vs N64 (388 games) - 1st to market PS1 had a full year lead in the US and 2 year lead in Japan. Total sales were over 3 to 1 for the original playstation.

    - PS2 (2,466 games) vs Original Xbox (894 games) - Technically superior xbox came late to market and for more money than PS2. Total sales for Playstation 2 were 6 times the total of the original Xbox

    - Xbox 360 (1,173 games) vs Playstation 3 (1,026, disc games only) - Sony after winning a couple of generations had the hubris to come out with a difficult to program and very expensive machine AND came late to market. This allowed key franchises like the Bethesda games to run better on Xbox 360, arrive their 1st and get exclusive content 1st. Even though PS3 caught up by the end of the generation, only Microsoft's own Red Ring of Death issue early in the consoles life kept if from becoming a runaway success that would have been impossible for Sony to catch.

    Sony and Microsoft have learned painful mistakes, which they both seemed to address to a degree this round. They launched very close to one another. PS4 went to an early lead purely on price and a fumble from MS on forcing Kinect and other poorly communicated DMC decisions on the consumer. I would argue it was more about MS bad communication and Sony being $100 cheaper that drove their lead than it was about "power"

    This mid-generation refresh to me appears to be the same kind of thing. Sony is coming out 1st at a good price. Microsoft saw what was coming back at E3, but not having time to launch when PS Pro would launch, did a smart move and did what Sony did with the PS2 to the Dreamcast. Announce something bigger and better is coming a year from now. The problem is Sony isn't in the same position Sega was at that time. Sega had burned people with both the 32x and Sega Saturn back to back. The developers had lost faith in them.. meanwhile developers are lining up to support PS4, not because it's better or it's preferential, it's because it's the market leader and this is business.

    I don't know that the promise of more power at a higher cost, is going to stop someone that can walk into Best buy and see an amazing image on screen that they can have in their home for Christmas.

    Don't get me wrong, I think Phil Spencer and his team have been doing a great job righting the ship, much like Sony had to do when they messed up the PS3 at launch. With a current 2 to 1 lead over XB1, it's going to be hard to catch to catch the PS4... and I think that is carrying over into the PS4 Pro. But again, that's just my opinion as a life long gamer.

    • in the end its all about the best games, people will buy an xbox/pc for gears and halo and people will buy a ps for uncharted and last of us. Personally i like games that aren't just known for their campaign modes and gears, halo are far more successful for their multiplayer modes and lifespan.

      on top of that xbox always had a better system software full of features and a far more reliable and social online experience.

      yeah ms really shot themselves in the foot by forcing kinect and making it more expensive and slightly weaker.. so the only choice for gamers was ps4, but it doesn't make ps4 a good system, it's got better hardware, but there are no good games or features unless you rent a naughty dog title.

      • I can understand if you say you prefer the games on XB1. If you are into multiplayer, I get it (I don't play multiplayer at all) but to say there are no good games on PS4 is really untrue.

        Once you take out the games that are on both systems, there are far more games on PS4 and higher rated games. Now high ratings don't necessarily make a game great, but it does show lots of people think they are great. Whatever you say about indie games vs kinect games... none of that matters to me. Just give me more choice and have good choices in there. Stuff like Naughty Dog games on Sony or Remedy games on MS consoles are just extra icing on the cake. I'm considering the whole meal.

        For me, personally I know I will get an XB1 (probably the S) eventually. It just comes down to key have to have franchises that I can't get on my existing PS4.

        On the 360 is was Alan Wake, castle crashers and Limbo (2 of which eventually came over to PS3).. Currently I look at Cuphead longingly and Ori and the blind Forest... but, as yet, I haven't seen that "OMG, I have to have it game" that's only on XB1. When it happens... and I know it will, I'll make the leap.

  • I think the ps4 pro hurt Sony more than anything. The xbox one s has hdr and uhd blu ray the two things that the pro push but with no uhd drive. I'll buy a pro next year but not because it's better than xbox but because I'm a gamer and can't help it

  • Analysts are full of shit even going to lengths and saying PS5 is releasing 2018 lmfao delusional fools there is no need for Microsoft to worry even with PS4pro releasing soon it wasn't well received at all and claiming most Powerful console " Ya right " not even close

    Microsoft got the XboxOneS and it has a 4K UHD blue ray player ( something those fools at Sony failed to add on ) and huge exclusives games plus XboxOneS is selling like hotcakes , wait till the GearsXboxOneS releases forget about it

    Microsoft needs to worry about nothing

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Published by
Jake Platt
8 years ago

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