Microsoft’s Xbox One has struggled to gain market share against Sony’s PlayStation 4 since both consoles released in November of 2013. Sony recently had a fantastic showing of the PlayStation 5, meaning Microsoft needs to pull out the big guns in order to level the next-gen playing field. Many pundits have suggested that Microsoft has been doing everything right for the past six months when it comes to the Series X. Despite this, the PS5 reveal has been setting all sorts of records, leaving Microsoft again with an uphill battle.

In data released this year, the lifetime units sold between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have a staggering difference, with the PlayStation 4 achieving more than 100 million units sold, doubling that of Microsoft’s Xbox One. More devastating for Microsoft has been the 2017 release of Nintendo’s Switch, which has handily surpassed Xbox in terms of units sold, in half the time. Microsoft needs to return to some economic fundamentals to have a shot at closing some of that gap, with a focus on price, quality and quantity, marketing and communications.

Xbox Series X Needs An Affordable Price

The last time these gaming behemoths went to war, Microsoft came in $100 higher than Sony, to devastating results. This $400 and $500 price point was set nearly 7 years ago, and seemed to help sway the console wars deeply towards Sony’s favor. Sony made a similar mistake with the PS3, but changed its approach with the PS4 — a decision that was a resounding success. While the specs have been released for both the Xbox Series X and the PS5, there has been a stunning silence from both parties on price. Rumors have ranged as high as nearly $800, but most analysts are estimating $500 as the likely price tag.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer offered fans encouraging comments during his interview on IGN’s Unlocked podcast. The full video can be seen below, but in particular, his comments on pricing and agility were very encouraging to potential buyers.

Quality and Quantity

Microsoft has struggled to keep up with Sony’s ability to land platform exclusive blockbusters. Microsoft has done a tremendous job hyping up fans with a commitment to backward compatibility on thousands of titles, which should help with some of the quantity equation. Xbox Game Pass further rounds out these titles, offering AAA games on a monthly rotating basis.

“I feel good about the price that we’re going to be able to get to. I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have with Series X… We’re going to make sure that we stay agile on our pricing and that we have a good plan going into launch.”

Many games now launch with Smart Delivery, meaning players who buy the Xbox One version will receive the Series X version for free when they jump to the next-generation. Microsoft has historically lost the quality fight but is sitting on a pile of very exciting intellectual property, including Fable, Halo, Perfect Dark, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Forza, Everwild, and the Gears of War franchises. If Microsoft is able to go all-in with AAA quality exclusive games across their major franchises, in addition to the titles already teased during the May 7 trailer, it could give Microsoft a significant boost.

Marketing Transparency and Communication to Players

Whether justified or not, Microsoft has been getting some kudos for its transparency and communication related to the Xbox Series X. In reality, both Microsoft and Sony have released similar information, including the physical design of the console, hardware specs, and gameplay footage. Despite this, until the recent PS5 reveal, Microsoft has been getting credit for sharing information, being transparent, and listening to fans. Microsoft needs to continue to build off this, and communicate as much info as it possibly can. The last ball to drop for each side will be the console price, and with Phil Spencer’s commitment to agility with pricing, this could be a great time to be a consumer.

The console war is just beginning, but Microsoft needs to do something big to counteract Sony’s recent press conference. We’re only a few months away from the next-generation, and there’s a lot we still don’t know. Price is going to be the make-or-break factor for these consoles, and we’re bound to have more info on that soon.

Source: IGN, TomsGuide