Lognor
Banned
Whether it was luck or foresight, it worked out really well for them! It certainly was foresight to make a console that had a lower entry point. Sony did the same thing with their discless PS5, but the savings were much more muted. 20% savings for the discless version vs 40% savings for the Series S. $300 is a great entry price for a current gen console when the Switch (a last gen console) is the same price! That's a hell of a value proposition for the Series S!Here's the thing, I don't think it was foresight. It was luck. MS was not trying to make an easy to manufacture system that would be managable during COVID; they neither knew it would happen, nor that it would increase demand from all the bored people staying home. They simply wanted to have both the strongest AND the cheapest console at the same time, so they fragmented things. It was in stark contrast to PS5 "believe in Generations". Well as it turns out, MS made the lucky bet and Sony had to backpedal and begin treating PS4 like a PS5 Series S with its game releases.
Xbox has much better value proposition than last time, yes. But to be honest, I still think Sony could be mopping up if they had stock. Especially coming off Xbox One's reputation. The PS brand is a juggernaut. I remember thinking the PS2 was a bad value when it came out compared to Dreamcast. It still flicked away DC like it was a fly. Because Playstation. Look at the rabid demand for PS5s even now, and consider they are still making and selling more than the same period for PS4. It still feels like they can't make ANY because that's how little they are scratching the surface of demand.
I'm not even a Sony fanboy, if it were my way all games would be on Xbox because I hate using a PS controller. I didn't even appreciate PS1 and 2 libraries until years later. I'm not injecting my personal feelings or biases here, I have no desire to diminish any accomplishment against Sony. I'm just seeing it for what (I think) it really is.
Are you certain about the PS5 selling more than the PS4 launch aligned? From a quick google search that does NOT appear to be the case. This article, although from May, shows that the PS5 is in fact behind the PS4 launch aligned: https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/0...d-to-stabilize-and-overtake-ps4-sales-by-2024
We get weekly numbers in Japan and even there where the PS4 launch was terrible due to the late launch compared to the rest of the world, the PS4 is still ahead. The PS5 will likely end up below the PS4 in total sales by the end of this gen.
We can all speculate about what could have happened if the PS5 was readily available, but that's all it is, speculation. The facts are the facts. Maybe the PS5 will overtake the PS4 by 2024 as the article suggests, but that is still over a year away and a lot can happen.