Sony and Microsoft's highly anticipated next-gen consoles — the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, respectively — are only a month away from finally becoming available, which is just in time for the Holidays; both bringing with them a wide variety of titles for players to choose from.
While there is obvious appeal in next-gen technology when it comes to consoles, NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella predicts that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S will be selling like hotcakes, but the best-selling console this Holiday will be the Nintendo Switch.
According to Piscatella, the btoh PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S will be among the hottest holiday gifting items of this Holidays, but the lack of a proper library of video games will make the Nintendo Switch the better option for those looking for a console with a solid library of titles.
Piscatella does believe, however, that while the Nintendo Switch will be the preferred item during the fourth quarter of the year, the console may be difficult to come across; precisely due to consumers making Nintendo's handheld hybrid console their platform of choice.
It is important to remind you that these are only predictions Piscatella has made, but he does bring valid points to the table — well, except maybe for one.
One thing that Piscatella doesn't mention in his Nintendo Switch prediction is that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are backward compatible with the current generation of consoles, which already boosts the appeal of their next-gen counterparts, especially for casual players who don't own a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One, and are looking to purchase one of Sony and Microsoft's upcoming consoles.
If that were the case, new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S owners will have a console that will already play a myriad of current-gen titles, and then some — with all of the next-gen games that are slated to release on launch day, as well as the ones that will be releasing in the coming months/years.
Piscatella does mention that current-gen games that will be compatible with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S will see "refreshed demand", which he also believes will help with the transition from the current geenration of consoles to the next one, as opposed to previous years in which breaks during generational transitions were noticeable; so that's a plus.