The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are both launching this November, and both boast a pretty strong selection of multiplatform third party launch titles, including the likes of Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, DiRT 5, and Yakuza; Like a Dragon (though that doesn’t launch on the PS5 until March). But which of the two consoles will enjoy the stronger Holiday sales for third party games this year?
We recently posed the question to industry analyst Michael Pachter. After first remarking that they’re going to sell well on both on PlayStation and Xbox regardless, he added that that will ultimately boil down to supply. According to Pachter, it’s simply going to be a question of which of the two consoles have sold more.
“Well, it doesn’t really matter, they’re going to sell well on both consoles,” he said. “But this, again, comes down to supply from Sony and Microsoft. If you tell me Sony has made 8 million PS5s and Microsoft has made 5 million Xboxes, I will say the games will sell more on PS5. If you tell me Microsoft made 8 million and Sony made 5 million, I will say the games will sell more on Xbox Series X. It comes down to supply again.”
The PS5 and Xbox Series X have both enjoyed successful post-launch periods (in terms of sales, if not planning), so right out the gate, at least, third party sales will likely be higher. Reports have also said that Sony plan on producing 10 million PS5 units by as early as December, so it definitely seems like they’re expecting plenty of demand.
Our full interview with Michael Pachter will be live soon, so stay tuned for that.