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[Clear]

PS5 had record high numbers in 2023 (due to the chip shortage ending), makes sense that it would decline and stabilize now.
The Switch is in its last year, a decline is to be expected.

Yep. Contraction was overdue, MS pivot just makes things look worse than they actually are.

 

[Punished Miku]

It'll be $299.

I doubt it honestly. Even the OLED model was a stealth price hike.

 

[XXL]

It will only get worse for consoles.

No it won't.

GTA VI is going to make console sales explode in 2025 (mainly PS5).

People are seriously under estimating the power of Grand Theft Auto VI and don't understand that it's pretty much a timed PS5 exclusive at this point (not really obviously).

The Switch 2 (unless Nintendo does something insane) is going to be fine.

Xbox is the only one that doesn't have a great path forward as a hardware manufacturer. Even if they did make another console after the Series X/S, it doesn't feel like people are going to be running out to buy it.

 

[twilo99]

I think Switch 2 is going to be electric if the launch titles are insane. Mario Kart 9, etc. Gotta keep the price down though. Maybe $400 at the absolute most.

Switch should be in the $300 range no? But yes they should be able to do pretty well, mainly because the switch is not a “traditional” console of course.

 

[tmlDan]

All of these consoles need to release some sort of big game this year or this will continue, Sony has had great games but nothing mainstream and massive that they advertise like hell.

Nintendo won't have anything till switch 2, and xbox has an insanely niche game in Hellblade and that's it?

GTA6 is gonna help the PS5 a ton tho

 

[dotnotbot]

I bet PS5 is still ahead of PS4 (time aligned ofc)

Edit: maybe not, seems like price is too high. Still, I would say even roughly repeating PS4's success is fine considering economics and much higher price and lack of games. It's only 1 manufacturer that is truly fucked (hint: not Sony/Nintendo).

 

[ManaByte]

I doubt it honestly. Even the OLED model was a stealth price hike.

The OLED was $349. The current Switch is still $299.

 

[BennyBlanco]

It will only get worse for consoles.

Switch 2 is gonna be the most hype console launch ever. Mario Kart 9 likely a launch game, and a new Pokemon and 3d Mario.

 

[King Dazzar]

People simply can't justify a $500 console right now. All the games in the world won't change that when the price of entry is prohibitive.

In which case why isn't the Series S selling amazingly well? I thought percentage split between and X & S not so long ago showed X actually doing better....

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Massive jump last year due to supply issues being resolved. If next year we still see a massive decline then I'd start to get worried.

 

[XXL]

Switch 2 is gonna be the most hype console launch ever. Mario Kart 9 likely a launch game, and a new Pokemon and 3d Mario.

Yep. Depending on if Switch 2 launches in 2025, 2024 might be a bit rough, but 2025 is going to be huge.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I mean...the PS5 is more expensive in 2024 than it was in 2020. Last year they were selling more than typical because stock was finally everywhere.
Xbox is flopping and Switch was released in 2017.

There's no way this was unexpected.

Next year will be much better with Switch 2, PS5 (i'm sure a price cut will have happened by then) + PS5 Pro and GTAVI.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

If Sony is smart they'll cut the price of the base PS5 to like $350-$400 when the Pro launches.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

But now prices are stagnant for years on end. How do Sony and co. think they can reach new markets when their console offerings are still too expensive for a part of the population?

The improvements in semiconductor manufacturing have slowed a lot compared to what it used to be and aren’t as meaningful in terms of power and area reduction as they used to, either.

Since the ps5 launched 4 years ago we got two node improvements, but the second is recent and still in the “premium” segment of customers (think Apple, prestige Android phones, etc).

 

[Mibu no ookami]

While everything you say is true, it doesn't stop these suits from pushing the panic buttons. Budgets will be cut, studios will be closed down...We've got more of this ahead of us until the reset has occurred.

I think we're conflating two different things here.

Budgets are being cut and studios are being closed, not because the PS5 is a couple million units shy of the PS4, it's because

a) Budgets ran amuck during the era of cheap money
b) GaaS games are crowding out non-GaaS games
c) Xbox software sales are greatly diminished this generation because of GamePass and reduced Xbox hardware sales
d) At this particular time in the cycle Nintendo's handheld is aged and no longer selling as well globally


Costs are high and software sales are down or at least not projected to grow in tandem with where costs were going.

That doesn't have much to do with the PS5 at all, which is why Dring is misleading as he often is.

 

[Loomy]

Gen Z doesn’t care about consoles.. it will be a problem

Gen Z is currently 12-26 years old. Over half of them don't have their own income so they're not going to be spending $500 on a console. They do all have phones though, which is pretty much essential these days, so that's where they're spending most of their screen time. It's not entirely fair to blame them.

Spending is down across the board right now. Entertainment is, predictably, the first to go, especially when there's nothing compelling out there.

In which case why isn't the Series S selling amazingly well? I thought percentage split between and X & S not so long ago showed X actually doing better....

Because the Series S was a poorly conceived system. That thing was never going to last the entire gen. Add onto that the fact that Microsoft could not sell an Xbox to save the division right now, and you have your answer.

Also, didn't this guy get rid of his twitter account because of harrassment?

 

[mdkirby]

Everyone is broke in the uk.

Consoles aren’t getting price cuts.

People know ps5 pro is coming this year, so if you’ve held out this long, may as well wait another 6 months.

Games now also release on pc.

Last year was a boom year.

Sony need something big like wolverine as ps5 exclusive to launch, and their new console upgrade out…and a price cut for the standard model to boost sales.

 

[Griffon]

The UK is circling down the drain.

 

[Woopah]

It is a tough comp with with 2023 due to the end of PS5 shortages the TOTK OLED model. But I don't think Dring is wrong that the numbers aren't too great.

PS5 price, Switch age and Xbox's lineup are the reason for the decline, but that doesn't make the decline less real.

Switch should be in the $300 range no? But yes they should be able to do pretty well, mainly because the switch is not a “traditional” console of course.

I don't see anyway the Switch 2 costs less to make than Switch OLED, I think its $399 minimum.

All of these consoles need to release some sort of big game this year or this will continue, Sony has had great games but nothing mainstream and massive that they advertise like hell.

Nintendo won't have anything till switch 2, and xbox has an insanely niche game in Hellblade and that's it?

GTA6 is gonna help the PS5 a ton tho

I'd say Helldivers 2 would count as mainstream for Sony.

Massive jump last year due to supply issues being resolved. If next year we still see a massive decline then I'd start to get worried.

It looks like PS5 sold less in April 2024 than April 2022, so it's not just the jump last year that is impacting things.

 

[Mr Hyde]

People simply can't justify a $500 console right now. All the games in the world won't change that when the price of entry is prohibitive.

The pill would be easier to swallow if there were some new interesting software to look forward too in the future. But yeah, a 500 dollar console is a tough sell these days when most people can barely put food on the table. I wonder how the Pro model will be received? I'm glad I got PS5 on launch when price was reasonable and the economy wasn't in the toilet.

 

[Kerotan]

Sony has to drop the price and Nintendo has to drop the SW2

And Microsoft will drop Xbox.

 

[feynoob]

Chris Dring continues to bend the truth when he wants to. And it feeds the most annoying people

• PS5 was still getting over demand issues in the UK this time last year
• Hogwarts legacy was still selling in big numbers, helping to shift units
• The PS4 at this time in the cycle had already received a price cut
• The PS4 at this time in the cycle had already been boosted by the PS4 Pro
• The PS4 did not experience a pandemic at this point in its life cycle

That Chris Dring adds contexts that sensationalizes but doesn't add context that informs, suggests that he is either a poor analyst or he has an agenda.

All of this is important in understanding whether the PS5 is ACTUALLY tracking behind the PS4.

He claims that this is a horrible year, but is it? The Switch is in natural decline it came out 7 years ago. How does this year compare to 2017? Oh wait, a succesful new Nintendo device came out that year?

It's important when comparing things that you explain why things are different. It's why we look at Month over Month and why we look at Year or Year.

If I provided a slide saying that YoY something was down 30% but didn't explain why, I'd hear about it. Chris Dring doesn't work for us, but you'd think in the capacity as a journalist, he'd be more forthcoming.

What you are missing is console sales vs consumer spending.

If this shit continues, consumers would not be able to spend like last gen. And that is the heart of the problem here.

Current economy is shit and publishers cant sustain their games if they dont sell the threshold amount. Small devs are at risk of closing down their business completly, due to budget issues and abysmal sales.

2024 is gonna wreck havoc, and 2025 is going to be even worse if this doesnt stop.

Edit: 2023 had 2021-2022 games. That is clouding our judgement for last year performance.

 

[ManaByte]

I wonder how the Pro model will be received?

If people aren't buying $500 consoles, what's going to happen with a $600+ console that plays all the same games the $500 one does?

 

[Mr Hyde]

If people aren't buying $500 consoles, what's going to happen with a $600+ console that plays all the same games the $500 one does?

 

[PropellerEar]

If people aren't buying $500 consoles, what's going to happen with a $600+ console that plays all the same games the $500 one does?

If the console doesn't have Xbox in the name, sales won't be an issue.

 

[gothmog]

Sales are down because there's real shit going on with the world and people's lives. Eventually people will want to escape it and come back. Hopefully we have a nice set of games to look forward to this fall. Hopefully.

 

[twilo99]

If people aren't buying $500 consoles, what's going to happen with a $600+ console that plays all the same games the $500 one does?

You would be surprised how important ray tracing is to most people

 

[Markio128]

Unless your name is Nostradamus then please stfu.

 

[nosoynadie22]

In 2017 the PS4 sold for $300, the PS4 Pro was already on sale, the Nintendo Switch went on sale and the Xbox one sold with deals for $200

 

[Bernardougf]

Sony has to drop the price and Nintendo has to drop the SW2

Sony has to drop first party games ...

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Console gaming sucks 90% of the time these days and originality, new ideas and creativity are at an all-time low now.

 

[Bernardougf]

Hole shit .. people actually think the Switch 2 will cost 299 ??? ... brace yourselfs for disappointment

 

[ChiefDada]

How is it a lie? Its happening before our eyes.

Because context matters. If he simply stated that console sales were down x% there'd be no problem. But he introduced subjectivity by saying consoles are having a "horrible year" without presenting underlying context that would weaken his opinion in many ways.

 

[Haint]

No jobs, no money, every sector allowed to endlessly price gauge with no regulation.

In the US unemployment still at an all time low, every business in town got "now hiring" banners on the front window, and highschool dropouts with no experience doing anything could have a $20/hr job by the end of the day. UK really doing that much worse?

 

[SEGAvangelist]

I thought it was just an Xbox problem.

 

[adamsapple]

If the console doesn't have Xbox in the name, sales won't be an issue.

It's almost like you didn't read the OP.

 

[GHG]

Previous year happened because of covid, otherwise it would have been a shit year.
Too many studios delayed their games.

Last year was an outsized year due to the shortages that covid created, that's a very different thing. It's called pent up demand, which only happens if people actually want the product.

He's giving numerical figures on how each console is 25% or more down from last year.

At a point y'all need to drop the hate-boner on 'who' is saying it and focus on 'what' is being said

Go ahead and create a chart which is launch aligned for all three consoles, also do one launch aligned with their predecessors while you're at it.

You'll see very little difference (well, apart from your favourite). Would you say 2017 was a "terrible" year for console sales?

The issue isn't the numerical figures, it's the conclusion being drawn from said numerical figures.

 

[Klosshufvud]

The PS5 is 6500SEK (550€) in Sweden. This is about 500 more than when it launched 3.5 years ago. This has gone out of control. In any normal console gen, PS5 would have been 300€ by now bundled with two high-profile games. They ask too much of consumers. To spend so much on outdated hardware and then spend 70€ on years old games on top of subscriptions. These greedy business methods are failing. The hardcore fled to PC, the casuals jumped ship to other hobbies. They overextended their reach and are now reaping what they sowed. It will only get worse for consoles with current business strategies.

 

[Woopah]

Sony has to drop first party games ...

They dropped 5 in 2024 already.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Sony has to drop first party games ...

 

[JimmyRustler]

One can only hope for this to be true. Very little of significance released this year and more and more games are riddled with MTX trash. Thank god for Japan. Western gaming market is a shitshow and can go and burn for all I care. These companies really need a slap and start to evaluate what they are doing.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Because context matters. If he simply stated that console sales were down x% there'd be no problem. But he introduced subjectivity by saying consoles are having a "horrible year" without presenting underlying context that would weaken his opinion in many ways.

Context includes the gloomy forward looking forecast of shitty GaaS games with shitty battle passes and generic Far Cry/Asscreed/NBA4k/RemasterDisaster games, but don't worry, GTA VI will save us all!

 

[midnightAI]

So is it just the XBox fans who predict/want this supposed crash to happen?

I dont get it, the conditions around the 1983 crash were completely different to what is happening now (and I was there to witness it, I was 12 at the time and an avid console and arcade gamer, although I only saw it from afar really as I am from the UK and it had very little impact here), this talk of a crash sounds weird to me

 

[poppabk]

PS5 had record high numbers in 2023 (due to the chip shortage ending), makes sense that it would decline and stabilize now.
The Switch is in its last year, a decline is to be expected.


Xbox had record low numbers in 2023 and is still dropping lower in 2024, which we obviously love to see.

The PlayStation missed its sales target by 4 million consoles last year.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

What you are missing is console sales vs consumer spending.

If this shit continues, consumers would not be able to spend like last gen. And that is the heart of the problem here.

Current economy is shit and publishers cant sustain their games if they dont sell the threshold amount. Small devs are at risk of closing down their business completly, due to budget issues and abysmal sales.

2024 is gonna wreck havoc, and 2025 is going to be even worse if this doesnt stop.

Edit: 2023 had 2021-2022 games. That is clouding our judgement for last year performance.

If I told you consumer spending was up in the US, would you just ignore that fact and continue to pedal the narrative you are trying to write?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

The PlayStation missed its sales target by 4 million consoles last year.

Was the target an average target or was it was record breaking target far more than PlayStation has ever sold in a year?

 

[cormack12]

I see leaving twitter went well

 

[El Muerto]

Consumers are probably waiting for the price to drop. Halfway through every gen there has been price cuts, except for this gen. These companies are just getting greedy. And the game output has been weak this gen on both sides.

 

[Audiophile]

There aren't enough heavy hitters to sell the systems and there's not much to plug the gaps between either. I think we're staying in a slump until GTAVI comes out and temporarily saves us all.

 

[Bernardougf]

They dropped 5 in 2024 already.

Im sure hope you are not counting second/third party buddy ....