PS5 sales are in the mud (because of the recent price increase), Xbox isn’t doing much better (but has risen recently). The only platform really pushing sales right now is the Nintendo Switch 2. The next generation is going to be all about that premium price. But what if some of these platforms do not deliver from the get go of the next generation?
This tells me that we’re going to see a variation of consoles at different prices at launch and potentially a return of the games we love. The Nintendo Switch 2, even with its recent price rise. It’s got a lot going for it. I mean, we haven’t seen what Nintendo has in store well and truly yet either.
If it wasn’t for the Starfox leaks earlier, which Nintendo were extremely annoyed by. There would be a lot more hype around that. As this generation winds down. Nintendo Switch 2 is launching in its own generation of sorts. I also believe that with third-party software doing reasonably well on it, and the new Call of Duty being there as well. I could certainly see Nintendo wanting to keep that support around in the future as the generation goes on. The one way they do that is with new hardware that might be the revised OLED version.
Games are going to be a really big indicator of the success going forward with these platforms. I said it a while back, there is going to be a focus on the games having to be there. That’s the bread and butter of any platform, and fans want to see their favourite franchises return.
Especially, when they’ve been on the sideline for a while. Games are going to be even more important going forward to sell us the platforms that we’re invested in. That means that the competition between each platform has never been more important. I truly predict a riot going forward.
Content is going to be king, and there is going to be a lot of current console owners absolutely annoyed with current platform policies that they may even consider PC and Play Anywhere.
So what is Nintendo Switch 2 doing right? Low cost online, exclusives remain incredibly strong. Stronger third-party support for this generation. The optics look good for them don’t they right now? They’re the only platform from Japan (originally) that you feel you’re getting a pretty good deal. With PlayStation’s new handheld also on the way. They’re not going to want to stand still. I think it’s going to get incredibly competitive again between these two platforms because of Sony’s attempt to get into Nintendo’s space.
Then you have XBOX. If they play their cards right. They could potentially see a return to form. A lot of things are going to need to come together for that to happen though. Free online, and a platform more inline with PC. I feel they’re taking great strides towards that.
However, at the same time, the way they take the competition to Sony is by creating games that were there in the heyday of how the Xbox 360 was when it was successful. You look at it, the value of the console, Xbox Live at the same time, and returning franchises from that era, that can excite and sway a return of fans. You do that, and you build on that through how the platform is modernised with the services it has to this day, like your Game Pass, like your Play Anywhere, and bring back exclusives, not because you want to gate anyone off but because at one point it was XBOX that wanted to bring their games to everyone.
But as we’ve seen. Narratives change not only through leadership changes, but through the need to because of the actions of other platforms because they’re making it truly difficult to bring games day and date to all concerned. Ultimately, I couldn’t be more excited about what is to come. The start of the next generation is going to have to go incredibly well for those that are zoned out on this generation, for them to even consider investing in a next generation console. Because of the economics of everything concerned and the way the gaming industry is right now.