Sony is monitoring the Nintendo Switch 2 as a competitive console, but because of the PlayStation 5’s “differentiated strategy,” they’re not too worried.
In a newly published Game & Network Services Segment Fireside Chat video, Hideaki Nishino, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO, addressed concerns that Nintendo’s positive and developing relationships with third-party developers would lead to “tougher competition” from Nintendo in the coming years. Nishino dismissed any concern and asserted that a handheld like the Switch 2 can’t keep up with the “PS5’s level of performance required to create a great experience on big screens.” The Sony boss also added that, despite how common it is for games to be multiplatform nowadays, he’s confident that the PlayStation 5 is the “best place of play.”
“We have a differentiated strategy, so PS5 is designed for an immersive gaming experience, and this includes the innovative DualSense controller features as well,” said Nishino. “We believe PS5’s level of performance is required to achieve a great experience on big screens. And in this way, we have provided a unique offering to players and creators in this current console generation.
“Publishers are increasingly shifting towards being multiplatform, so more platforms can run the same game, which is great from a creator’s perspective,” he added. “Among those platforms, our mission is that we will continue to be best place and to play and to publish. As such, we have empowered our creators to leverage our offering and services to create amazing, unique experiences for players, with high engagement and great monetization opportunities.”
As the conversation continued, Nishino was asked about potential PlayStation market declines due to Nintendo’s stronghold with the younger demographic of gamers. Nishino maintained confidence that due to the PlayStation brand’s history and investment in “supporting a large number of creators,” PlayStation will continue providing the “largest number of content available…catering to all demographics, geographics, and playstyles.”
Interestingly, Hermen Hulst, CEO of Studio Group for SIE, explained that investing in player’s relationships with the PlayStation brand also led to the company choosing to bring its first-party titles to “new formats” such as TV, film, and even anime — the latter of which he detailed as “appealing to key younger audiences.” And yes, that would have been the perfect time to talk about the previously announced Ghost of Tsushima anime. But alas, Crunchyroll and PlayStation’s forthcoming collaborative effort was not mentioned.
Hideaki Nishino’s comments regarding PlayStation’s “differentiated strategy” arrived a week after Nintendo released the Switch 2. On Wednesday, Nintendo announced that its new system had shattered console launch day records, selling over 3.5 million units globally and becoming the fastest-selling system ever in Nintendo.
Additionally, VGC reported that the Switch 2 sold 947,931 consoles in Japan in its first four days available. Game Data Library, a site that collects and archives past Japanese sales data, listed the PlayStation 2 as the country’s best-selling launch day console, with 630,000 units sold on release. With the Switch 2’s historic numbers, a new big dog may be in town — but PlayStation doesn’t seem worried for now.
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