Microsoft has knocked Sony off of their pedestal for the last two months when it comes to sales, but how will the future look now that Sony revealed the PlayStation 4 Pro? The new console will upgrade aesthetics and some features in PS4 games, thanks to its upgraded GPU (more than doubled), 4K display (mostly scaled gameplay), boosted clock rate, and a 1TB HDD.
However, Microsoft's Xbox One S offers a number of these features as well.
Which console end up on top? Industry analysts make it their priority to know the ins and outs of the industry so they can offer somewhat credible forecasts, but when it comes to the PS4 Pro, the Xbox One S and the coming Project Scorpio… They don't really know what to think.
Microsoft is in a peculiar place and so is Sony. The Pro is release sandwiched between the Xbox One S and Scorpio, and while Sony might have a leg up in some places, Microsoft has the time to respond with the Scorpio.
Here's what the analysts are thinking, courtesy of Games Industry and NeoGaf:
Michael Pachter:
"The pricing gives Sony a big advantage. PS4 Slim is competitive with Xbox One S, but PS4 Pro is a bargain [at $399]. For the same price as the 2TB Xbox One S, you get 1TB and future proof for 4K. I think this sells very well at holiday, and was surprised it was coming out this year," Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter told GamesIndustry.biz.
DFC Intelligence:
DFC Intelligence's David Cole: "The only big issue was when Pro would launch and they have a firm date this year and a solid price. 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. It is just an all-around compelling proposition."
SuperData:
SuperData's Joost van Dreunen: "The relatively low price point for all available devices and the publisher support promises to supercharge the holiday season."
IDC:
IDC games research director Lewis Ward acknowledged that the PS4 Pro launch date and price is "a shot across the bow," but he added, "I don't think there's much of an impact on Scorpio at this point."
"The main course in the Pro upgrade is the roughly 2.2x boost in GPU power. That's enough to drive one hell of a sexy picture. Unfortunately, both 4K TVs and HDR TVs, let alone sets that do both, are barely off the drawing board. So while Sony has staked out new territory as far as home consoles go on the rendering front, I question whether the Pro will be a big seller this holiday season since there doesn't appear to be a large installed base of 4K/HDR TVs out there to take advantage of the sexy (AMD) silicon."
"This is more about getting out there early and future-proofing the PS4 as gamers and videophiles eventually shell out for high-end TVs over the next several years. Having said that, the fact that Pro has a 1TB HDD may be more of a near-term selling point for those who like to download lots of content. For an extra $100 that's a decent deal by itself when you realize that today's PS4 with 1TB can cost $400-$500 depending on what's in the bundle."
IHS:
Head of games research at IHS, Piers Harding-Rolls: Believes that PS4 Pro sales will be limited to "a minority of PS4 buyers." However he notes that, "Microsoft's cheaper Xbox One S also steals some of Sony's Pro thunder, with a significant overlap in 4K features between the two consoles," he said.
Strategy Analytics:
Strategy Analytics' director of digital media strategies, Mike Goodman: "Microsoft is in an unusual position in that it can sit back and see how the market reacts to Sony and adjust plans accordingly," he said. It's also hard to know at this point whether console owners "are willing [to] buy into the cell phone model and purchase a new console every couple of years."
