50 million units is not a number to shy away from by any standards. You’d expect such bold predictions to come from the manufacturing company, but this time around, this is not the case. It was not Sony who revealed these prediction, but the IDC (International Data Corporation), a company specializing in forecasts and data analysis. The forecast was showcased on GameIndustry International, and the actual number suggests that Sony will be selling over 51 million Playstation 4 consoles by 2016, a number significantly larger than Microsoft’s Xbox One.
So far the PS4 has a clear lead over the Xbox One, and according to the report, the console war will likely tip in favor of the former. However, the Xbox One will be catching up once the Kinect will be unbundled and the Xbox One’s price will drop significantly, a move estimated to happen by the end of 2014 or early 2015. The Xbox One won’t be the only console to get a price-trim according to the research company. The Wii U is likely to get a reduction of around $50 in the coming year, however this change will likely do little for Nintendo, as the console will more than likely continue to struggle against the competition. These predictions seem logical and we tend to agree with the forecast. The Wii U suffers from outdated hardware and while Nintendo does plan on releasing some highly popular exclusive titles, it’s probably not going to be enough to realistically compete with Microsoft or Sony.
The situation in China should also be considered. Now that China has lifted a 14 year old long ban on consoles, we’re seeing signs that major players want to take advantage of the situation. Microsoft already announced that it would be launching the Xbox One in China this September, and Nintendo will likely have an edge in the heavily-censored Chinese gaming market. We’ll have to see how Sony responds. Lastly, the IDC reports that physical game copy sales will continue to decline, but frankly, you don’t have to be a professional research entity to figure that out. It’s clear that digital sales are increasingly popular, both on the PC (via Origin or Steam) and on consoles.
Right now, Sony reports selling over 7 million PS4 units, while Microsoft hasn’t given a clear update recently, only stating that over 5 million Xbox One units have been shipped out. Do you think Sony will sell as many as 51 million units by 2016? With more titles coming out for the new console, interest is likely to remain high, but is 51 million an overstatement? Let us know in the comment section below!