Why The PS5 & Xbox Series X Launch Is Different From Past Console Gens
The upcoming launch of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X will likely be markedly different from previous console generations, positioned as an optional upgrade instead of a necessary leap in hardware quality. A wide range of cross-generation game releases, as well as the consoles' reportedly high pricing, suggests next-gen-exclusive titles will not play a big role in the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X's first years.
Most console and handheld releases are accompanied by a few exclusive titles to drive sales. Game systems are valuable because of the games they play, after all, so console manufacturers often use games that can only be played on their new systems to attract customers. The PS4's exclusive launch titles, for example, included first-party games Killzone Shadowfall and Knack, neither of which are remembered especially fondly now but showed off the power of Sony's system at the time.
Like Sony, Microsoft launched its Xbox One with technically impressive first-party games such as Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, and Forza Motorsport 5, all exclusively playable on the new console. But this time, Microsoft is planning something different - and reports suggest Sony may be, too.
Microsoft revealed in January that first-party Series X games will be cross-gen for the console's first year or so, meaning the Series X likely won't launch with any exclusives at all. This is a radical departure from previous generations on its own, but Microsoft also announced the new Xbox Smart Delivery system, which allows players to buy games on Xbox One and get them for free on Series X. Smart Delivery is guaranteed for first-party games, and third-party publishers can opt-in, as Ubisoft is doing for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While Sony has revealed the PS5 will be backward compatible with many PS4 games, it hasn't announced a similar cross-launch or cross-buy system. Bloomberg reporting suggests many PS5 launch titles will also be on PS4, however.
"Peer pressure" from these and other publishers could force Sony to adopt free upgrades, if it isn't already planning to implement them. Besides Xbox Game Studios and Ubisoft, CD Projekt Red's highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 will utilize Xbox Smart Delivery, and EA recently confirmed (via GamesRadar) its games can be "upgraded free" from current- to next-gen. This strategy marks a dramatic shift from how things have worked in previous generations, especially for third-party publishers. Around the time of console launches, it's common for third parties to release their games on current-gen hardware, only to port them over to next-gen later as full-price "deluxe" or "enhanced" editions.
Publishers' change of heart this generation could be due to the new consoles' projected prices. In late 2019, PlayStation's Mark Cerney said PS5's price would be "appealing to gamers." Recent reporting from Bloomberg, however, claimed the PS5 will be expensive at launch, selling for between $499 and $549 USD due to its expensive components - about $60 to $110 higher than the PS4's 2013 launch price, adjusted for inflation. Since the Xbox Series X has similarly impressive technical specs, Microsoft will likely land at a price around Sony's. The Bloomberg report also suggested Sony will produce only a limited 5 or 6 million-unit run of PS5 systems at launch, which could make it hard to find.
All of this indicates there could be relatively few next-gen consoles in customers' homes after launch, so it makes sense publishers wouldn't want to bank on people buying the PS5 or Series X in order to sell their latest games. The free upgrades, then, function as an incentive for players to buy into next-gen anyway, despite its lack of compelling exclusives and its expensive price tags. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will likely be - at least for a time - just an optional path to more impressive graphics and load times for only the most hardcore (or well-paid) gaming fans.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are set to launch sometime during the 2020 holidays.