Warning: If you are a fanboy of either console you may want to stop here and not read any further. This is what I believe to be a balanced look at the current state of the play between Sony and Microsoft. I am a firm believer in a high tide raising all ships and I want everyone to succeed in the gaming industry.
Console wars have been prominent for decades now. Google will tell you that it all began in 1976 with the Fairchild Channel F and the Atari VCS, later known as the Atari 2600. The main difference in 2021 is that platforms like Twitter have given these ardent fans a platform and a following.
Last year the narrative was that Microsoft was ready and chomping at the bit to begin the next generation with the Xbox Series X & S, while Sony would have liked more time but knew they had to release alongside their biggest competitor. Now, this may well have been the case in terms of hardware, as I would say that overall there have been more issues reported with PlayStation 5 systems. Also, when UI sub-menus on PS5 are literally copy and pasted from the PS4, it is hard not to feel the PlayStation’s new interface was pushed out a little half baked.
On the software side though, the narrative changes. PlayStation, while muddying the waters in terms of cross-gen games, hasn’t missed a beat with exclusive titles only available on Sony systems. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Demon’s Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Returnal, Astro’s Playroom, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, The Pathless and Bugsnax. That’s without even mentioning smaller titles like Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, the Nioh Collection, the Pedestrian and more.
This strong flow of exclusive games, combined with the PS4 library gives Sony a huge edge at the start of this generation. Microsoft knows that they can’t compete on a software level at this moment in time, so they have pivoted to being the best value option. They have then compounded this with FPS boosts for older titles. This is an extremely smart move and one that will claw the Xbox brand back some of the ground it lost over the last nine years.
Good deals don’t completely make up for the relatively baron start to the Xbox Series generation though. I expected Xbox to be more prepared for the November 2020 launch and even now I am still baffled that they weren’t. Mere months from the release of the Xbox Series X|S we were told that the next Forza game is “early in development” … WHY?! The previous game had already been out for nearly TWO years at that point. You knew there was a new console coming. Having arguably your most consistent franchise ready for the launch window should have been a priority.
Despite E3 2021 being labelled a disappointment by many, I thought Xbox delivered a really strong show. Criticisms of the past were still definitely present here, with far too many CG trailers and “in-game” shots of absolutely nothing taking centre stage. They did show that the games are coming though. Big hitters Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 are scheduled to launch this year and despite my concerns about Halo, that is a strong fall lineup on paper. Timed exclusives like 12 Minutes should also play their part in padding out Xbox’s 2021.
Next year should hopefully continue building momentum with S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, Starfield, presumably Forza Motorsport and they claim Redfall, although that game has delay tattooed across its forehead. Xbox will hope this is the start of the first-party production line. Fable strikes me as a 2023 game, as does Hellblade 2, State of Decay 3 and Avowed. Indiana Jones, Elder Scrolls 6, The Outer Worlds 2 and a surely in production but yet to be announced Gears 6 are looking like 2024 and beyond.
While the Xbox roadmap is starting to take shape, PlayStation is keeping some cards close to their chest. Currently, the remainder of the year includes Deathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Horizon Forbidden West and Ghostwire Tokyo. Rumours in recent days have suggested that a new game in the Ghost of Tsushima universe may also surface late this year. Throw in smaller titles like Stray and Sifu and Sony have the edge in 2021. God of War Ragnarok, Project Athia, Final Fantasy XVI and Gran Turismo 7 are currently known for 2022.
I expect Microsoft to really start hitting their stride with games in late 2022. How the gaming landscape looks by then though is a mystery. Analysts estimate that the PlayStation 5 is currently outselling the Xbox Series X | S by about 2:1 and that is factoring in how hard it still is to buy a PS5 and the ridiculously good deals Microsoft are putting out to try and shift Series S units.
If this were a normal generation I would be fairly confident in saying that by the time Xbox is in full swing the dye will be cast and the damage done. However, the ace up Microsoft’s sleeve is Xcloud. I have been told by numerous users that it currently isn’t ready for prime time, but if they can sort that out for when the production line of first-party games starts rolling out they should have a fairly easy time enticing gamers to shell out £1 for three months of GamePass and if Starfield hits like Skyrim and not Fallout 76 that could be the impetus for people to jump.
It is a very interesting time and the future is far from certain, but this is Microsoft’s best chance to overthrow Sony since 2005. With the ridiculous amount of money they are throwing at the cause, you would think they can’t fail but people get entrenched in an ecosystem and it can be hard to break that brand loyalty. The reality we may well find ourselves in is PlayStation dominating the physical console space as the premium option, while Xbox and GamePass lean further and further into the role of “Netflix for games” – and honestly, that may be the sweet spot.
-Craig 🧐
