PlayStation 5 to outsell Xbox Series X by 2-to-1 margin, research firm predicts

By Aaron Mamiit August 9, 2020

The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are ready to go head-to-head in this year’s holiday season, but a research firm has already predicted the winner of the next-generation console war.

DFC Intelligence forecasts the PlayStation 5 outselling the Xbox Series X by a 2-to-1 margin, and predicts that Sony’s next-generation console will eventually break through the milestone of 100 million units sold.

“Microsoft is trying its best with Xbox Series X, but the past few months have revealed they are just too far behind Sony. Consumer brand preference is strongly towards PlayStation. As a piece of hardware there is nothing Xbox Series X is doing to change that perception,” wrote DFC Intelligence.

Other factors pointed out by the research firm contributing to its prediction include the lack of presence in Japan and weak presence in Europe for the Xbox, Sony’s strength in its distribution of consumer electronics, and the scaled-back ambitions to focus on short-term sales instead of long-term vision.

“However, Microsoft may have the long-term winning battle plan,” wrote DFC Intelligence, as the company has been working on a strategy that goes beyond its consoles.

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X

Many factors concerning the upcoming battle between the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X remain unknown, including their price tags and supply. In addition, it is unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the launch of the next-generation consoles.

Sony looks like it has won over the gaming community with what has so far been revealed for the PlayStation 5, but Microsoft may be looking at the longer-term with its emphasis on the Game Pass subscription service and the xCloud game streaming service.

Whether DFC Intelligence’s predictions come true remains to be seen, but what is known is that fans of both consoles are already excited to make the jump to the next generation.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…

Gaming

PlayStation Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more

With the rise of all-digital consoles, more and more people are doing a majority of their game shopping on digital storefronts. For PlayStation 5 owners, whether you have a disk drive or not, you more than likely have at least a couple of games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The convenience of simply downloading a game and not having to worry about the disk is great, but you also can catch some amazing deals. The biggest sales events come seasonally, and the current Spring Sale is offering deep discounts of up to 90% on some of the biggest games on the platform. If you've been waiting to pick up one of the great games you missed earlier this year or in years past, now might be the best time to snag it for cheap!
When is the PlayStation Spring Sale 2024?
The PlayStation Spring Sale started on March 27, 2024, but new deals were added on April 10 that will last until April 24.

If any deal is exclusively for a PS5 version of a game that is also on PS4, we will note that beside the title. Since all PS4 games run on PS5, we won't mark PS4 games.
Best deals for the PlayStation Spring Sale
God of War Ragnarök Sony Interactive Entertainment

Gaming

PlayStation 6: release date speculation, price, specs, and more

sony reveals customizable ps5 dualsense edge controller front and back

In a recent quote, Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka said: "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle." Many in the industry took that to mean that we may be hearing about the next PlayStation console sooner rather than later.

Considering Sony has yet to break its naming convention, it feels safe to assume whatever future home console we get will be called the PlayStation 6. But not only has the name not been officially confirmed, but neither has the idea of a next-generation PlayStation console or even a PS5 Pro. It's almost a guarantee, but technically nothing is set in stone. Rumors and potential leaks have already started stirring up excitement, so let's see what the future of PlayStation may look like according to the rumors.
Release date speculation

Gaming

I’m secretly hoping that the leaked all-white Xbox Series X isn’t real

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

Xbox Microsoft

Xbox’s anticipated mid-generation console refresh might be right around the corner. Over the past few weeks, there have been some rumblings that an all-white Xbox Series X may be coming this year. That rumor kicked into second gear when Exputer posted photos it says it received of the device. The leaked images show a standard Xbox Series X with a white casing. The design is about the same, but there’s one key difference: It doesn’t have a disk drive. If the rumors are proven true, that’ll be the system’s selling point, potentially putting it at a lower price point than the current Series X.