New Xbox and PS6 at $1000 Could See Sales Drop 40% in Five Years

Summary

Market analysis firm Ampere Analysis has released a new industry report predicting the next-generation consoles, including the rumored PS6 and the next Xbox codenamed Project Helix, expected to launch in 2028. If these traditional performance-upgraded consoles debut at $1,000, the report warns that next-gen hardware adoption could face significant setbacks, with combined sales over the first five years potentially falling by up to 38% compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in their equivalent period. The report also estimates that at a $1,000 price point, the combined PlayStation and Xbox console game and service market could shrink by $3.4 billion by 2031 compared to a $700 pricing scenario, a 12% decline. The losses from expensive hardware would ripple through the entire platform ecosystem, including game sales, subscription services, accessories, and digital store revenue shares. This forecast sparks widespread industry discussion, highlighting that as gamers become increasingly price-sensitive, console makers face tremendous challenges in pricing next-generation hardware. Excessive pricing could not only suppress hardware adoption rates but also weaken third-party developers' willingness to invest in next-gen platforms, affecting the overall growth pace of the gaming industry. For players, the value proposition of future consoles will be a critical factor in purchasing…