Speculation and rumours about the next generation of game consoles have been rampant recently, and as the inevitable end of the current generation approaches, there have been many reports that have suggested that announcements for the PS5 and the next Xbox from Sony and Microsoft respectively are very close.
Recently, GamingBolt had the chance to send across a few questions to NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, where he forecasted 2019 announcements for both the PS5 and the next Xbox. He did, however, also say that traditional console life cycles are pretty much done by this point– and that Sony and Microsoft’s next hardware will continue taking the industry in that direction.
“I’m forecasting announcements in 2019 for 2020 launches for both PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox,” Piscatella told GamingBolt. “However, I do think we’ve moved past the traditional generational model. I expect both manufacturers to add features that will further blur these lines.”
Piscatella also foresees sales for PS4 and Xbox One hardware units dropping down in 2019 as they both approach the end of their lives, and believes it’s going to be a transitional year for both companies. “I forecast both PS4 and Xbox One hardware unit sales to decline in the single-digit percentages next year, but more because we’re nearing the latter stages of the cycle, and I don’t anticipate either making drastic moves on price,” he said. “Both systems have done well in the US, but 2019 will likely be a transition year as we move into 2020.”
2018, meanwhile, has been a strong year for both the PS4 and the Xbox One, which has been surprising, given how late they are in their life cycles. It should be interesting to see what time both Sony and Microsoft deem appropriate to announce their next consoles, and what kind of an effect that will have on the sales of their current hardware.
Our full interview with Piscatella will be going live soon, so say tuned.