Microsoft will remain the company with the most powerful console in the market for the foreseeable future, according to a new shock prediction.
This will be seen as good news for the tech giant but perhaps not something that fans will want to hear.
Microsoft’s mid-generation shift with the Xbox One X has proven very popular with Xbox gamers.
It has sold well and the gamble Microsoft took of launching a high-priced version of their current console has paid off handsomely.
And according to a new analyst prediction, the Xbox One X may remain the most powerful console until 2021.
Many fans are ready to find out what is coming next in console gaming and are particularly interested in finding out what kind of specs will be available.
And IDC analyst Lewis Ward believes that both Sony and Microsoft may wait until 2021 to launch their next wave of gaming machines.
There have been several other reports that suggest that this will happen sooner, but Ward believes timing will be based on how well sales continue.
When asked by Gamingbolt whether Microsoft will look to launch their next console before Sony’s PS5, Ward gave a prediction on how things could go down.
“I’m not sure,” Ward said.
“My model currently projects both consoles will debut in 2021, a year later than many analysts seem to think.
“What happens to sales in 2019 will likely determine who is right, and narrow the launch window for next-gen consoles.”
Other reports have suggested that Microsoft is planning to release a new Xbox console in 2019, however, it will be another variant in their Xbox One line.
This will be the last Xbox One console Microsoft will release and will be different in one very large way.
The tech giant plans to release an Xbox that will be digital-only, removing the disc drive and making it a much smaller device.
This will also reduce cost and make it the cheapest new Xbox to buy in 2019, while also offering something for those people who own extensive digital libraries.
There is also talk of some kind of program that will allow Xbox gamers to turn their physical titles into digital ones.
The source of these reports is Thurrott.com, which also claims that Microsoft has massive plans for their cloud gaming department and software offerings.
This follows shock news concerning the sales of the Xbox One X, Microsoft’s new benchmark gaming machine.
As mentioned above, sales of the Xbox One has fallen behind the Xbox 360; however, the Xbox One X is a relatively new product with a higher price tag.
And according to industry analyst with NPD, Mat Piscatella, the Xbox One X is having a great year.
“Xbox One sales show the highest growth of the three major hardware platforms in the U.S. this year, and the Xbox One X, in particular, has been performing phenomenally,” he reveals.
“year-over-year growth like this at this point in the cycle has never been seen before, driven by the launch of the Xbox One X and new content delivery efforts.
“It’s a mid-generation turnaround the market’s never seen before. This qualifies as phenomenal, even if not market leading.”
It will be interesting to find out whether major Xbox and PlayStation news will be announced next year, or if fans will have to wait longer.