PlayStation said they were not worried about the impact of the Nintendo Switch 2 on its PlayStation console, pointing out that to "get a great experience on the big screen" would require PS5 level performance.
The Switch 2 was released last week (6.5), with its initial sales set global and Japanese hardware sales records respectively.At a Sony business unit meeting on Friday, SIE President Hideaki Nishino was asked if he was concerned about the hardware improvements of the Switch 2 and the improvements in Nintendo's relationship with third-party publishers would bring more intense competition to PlayStation in the coming years.
Hideaki Nishino replied: "We closely monitor the movements of the entire gaming industry, including other market participants. In addition, the catalysts on the market are very beneficial to the industry as they can inspire a wider range of enthusiasm and demand. So it's great to see someone launch a new product.
However, as I mentioned earlier, we have a differentiated strategy.The PS5 is designed to create an immersive gaming experience, which also includes the innovative DualSense controller capabilities.We believe that PS5-level performance is essential for a great experience on the big screen.In this way, we provide a unique product for players and creators of this current generation of consoles.
However, publishers’ strategies are increasingly shifting toward multi-platform, which means the same game can run on more platforms, which is a good thing for developers.Among these platforms, our mission is to continue to be the best play and distribution platform.
Therefore, we empower game developers to leverage our products and services to create exciting and unique experiences for players, with high participation and excellent monetization opportunities.As the industry and competitive trends evolve, we are consistently practicing this concept.Of course, PlayStation Studios, our series of games, plays a special role in presenting the PlayStation experience and working with us to strengthen the player’s vision.”
Subsequently, Sony CEO said some Sony investors were concerned that Nintendo's attractiveness to young players could lead to a decline in market share, as this generation may not "upgrade" to PlayStation when they grow up.Nishino said the PlayStation brand has resonated with a wide range of players over the past three decades, and he believes that by continuing to support numerous creators, PlayStation will continue to provide “the richest content”.
Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation studio, later commented that PlayStation's first-party developers are reaching a wider audience, including younger players, in a more direct way.
He said: “In addition to our series that have more, called ‘multi-generation’ fan base, like Marvel Spider-Man, we also have series that appeal to different groups of players. For example, Horizon is very popular among female players, while Cosmic Robots, created by our cute Asobi team in Tokyo, is loved by children and adult players.
We also continue to drive interactions with the PlayStation ecosystem and brands by expanding our series into new forms such as movies, TV and animation.Anime is especially appealing to major young audiences, so it's very helpful for us.”
