Is the PS5 lagging behind the Xbox Series X in promotion? Sony doesn’t think so as the company reaffirms its plans for a holiday release.
Many are criticizing Sony for the way the company has marketed the PS5, or the lack thereof. Comparisons are being raised on the marketing strategies of Sony and its rival, Xbox, with many leaning towards the latter.
Playstation fans think Sony isn’t marketing the next-generation console enough, but Sony begs to differ.
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Marketing Strategy
Playstation enthusiasts feel as though a big PS5 update is long overdue, and there may be truth to that. On Microsoft and the Xbox Series X’s side, the promotion had become a constant effort.
Just recently, Microsoft held an Inside Xbox virtual event showcasing the third-party games that will be playable on the next-gen console. While the event itself was highly anticipated, many fans were disappointed that no actual gameplay was featured, and the few that did were not that impressive.
However, the Inside Xbox event was also the start of Xbox 20/20, a series of monthly events that aim to give updates regarding the Xbox Series X. This would happen once a month leading up to the next-gen console’s actual release.
In Xbox’s marketing strategy, there are definitely hits and misses. But the fact is that they had never stopped delivering vital information regarding their product. And the fans do really appreciate it when they’re kept up to the speed of things.
It’s a different thing with the PS5. Sony has kept up with its quiet promotion. Aside from the technical aspects of the PS5, people don’t really know that much about Sony’s upcoming gaming console.
People still don’t know what it would look like, although Sony did reveal the new DualSense controller, albeit in a sudden manner. Many believed that Sony did so in fear of it leaking prematurely as they are unable to hold a live event due to the pandemic.
As for what the PS5 actually looks like, only a few people from Sony actually know. Sony also launched a spec reveal event, although the event was criticized for being too technical and turned into dull discussion filled with jargon.
Playstation’s undeniable market lead
Despite the lack of promotion, there is one thing that Sony can bank on when the PS5 is released: its market lead. The Playstation is no doubt the most popular of gaming consoles. In fact, just the PS4 alone has sold twice more than the Xbox One.
Sony has confirmed it had shipped over 110 million units of the PS4. As for the Xbox One, analysts believe that it has sold around 50 million units. It’s clear Sony has the market lead so they could be a little justified by opting to wait more in revealing their console.
PS5 sales will speak for itself
During a recent Q&A session hosted by Sony, an analyst remarked how the company’s marketing campaigns for the PS5 seemed inferior to that of Microsoft’s. That same analyst also asked Sony’s chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki to rate their marketing campaign so far and whether they would give it a passing grade.
Totoki, on the other hand, told the analyst to wait for the PS5 sales result.
“Is it a passing grade or not? Well, on that point, I think results will be everything, so after the launch it will become clear, and so we are going to make our upmost effort… We consider things strategically but doing our best… As for pass or fail, I would wait for PS5 sales to make that judgement,” Totoki says in response to the questions.
So it looks like people still have to wait for more info about the PS5. But with the expected release fast approaching, here’s to hoping Sony will make an update soon.
Images courtesy of (1) flowgraph/Shutterstock and steamXO (2)/Flickr