Just a few days ago, Microsoft told the world that the Xbox One X that went on pre-orders last month had become its fastest-selling console pre-order in history. Quite impressive. The console pre-orders have sold out at most retailers in the United States, and in many countries around the world. Now a reputed analyst claims that the Xbox One X sales would be higher than that of Sony’s flagship PlayStation 4 Pro.
Xbox One X sales could reach one million during holiday season
The Redmond-based company was taking pre-orders for a ‘Project Scorpio edition’ of the console. For the uninitiated, Project Scorpio was the code-name of the Xbox One X. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told investors that the Xbox One X sales would account for 20% of the Xbox One sales this year. The analyst also believes that Microsoft’s console would outsell the PS4 Pro upon its launch on November 7th.
Neither the PS4 Pro nor the One X is intended to replace their respective predecessors. The One X will play the same games as its affordable sibling Xbox One S. And the PS4 Pro plays the same titles as the other PS4 consoles. But these are more powerful consoles that offer better visuals than their siblings. The One X has been priced at $499, while the PS4 Pro costs $399.
Pachter said Microsoft’s new console would sell around two million units during the first year of launch. When a Twitter user asked him whether the One X would outsell the PS4/PS4 Pro, he responded: “the Pro, yes, the PS4, no.” Responding to another Twitter user, the analyst said the Xbox One X sales would reach one million units worldwide during the holiday season.
https://twitter.com/michaelpachter/status/903721046435495938
https://twitter.com/michaelpachter/status/903721433771139072
Michael Pachter doesn’t “want” the One X to fail, but that’s how many units he predicts Microsoft will ship this holiday season. One million “is not a huge success,” added the analyst. His statements imply that the PS4 Pro would sell less than one million units during the holiday period. Of course, the One X is far more powerful than the PS4 Pro, which may help it attract some gaming enthusiasts for whom price is not a major concern.
https://twitter.com/michaelpachter/status/903266257591459840
There are strong reasons to believe Pachter. First, the PS4 Pro was launched in November 2016. It will be a year old when the Xbox One X hits the store shelves. The initial euphoria for Sony’s console has faded, but will be at its peak for the One X. The Japanese company hasn’t revealed the exact sales numbers for the PS4 Pro, though it has said that the Pro version accounts for nearly 20% of the PS4 sales.
Was Microsoft ‘extrapolating’ the pre-order numbers?
Talking about Microsoft’s record pre-order claims, the analyst said the software giant was “extrapolating” the pre-order numbers. The Xbox One X units allocated to Amazon could be between 5,000 and 10,000 units. So, “don’t fall for the bullshit” that the One X is the fastest pre-ordered consoles in the Xbox history. Also, Microsoft is marketing the One X to 30-35 million Xbox Live Gold members, making the early pre-orders easy to come.
Pachter noted that about 80% of the Xbox One X sales this holiday season would come from the existing Xbox One or Xbox One S owners. The first time gaming console buyers would rather purchase the $249 Xbox One S than shell out $499 for the One X. Microsoft’s most powerful console lacks the mass market appeal, and at $499 it is out of the impulse purchase zone.
Xbox One X is not for everyone
Xbox chief Phil Spencer has admitted that the One X is not for everyone. Spencer expects the $249 Xbox One S to sell better than the One X. Also, you’ll have to buy a 4K TV to fully enjoy the new console’s capabilities. Of course, it also enhances the quality on 1080p TVs using the super-sampling method, but the difference between regular 1080p content and Microsoft’s enhanced 1080p content isn’t huge enough to justify the price.
The Xbox One X is arguably the most powerful console on the planet. It comes with 1TB hard drive, 326GB/s of memory bandwidth, an internal power supply unit, 12GB GDDR5 RAM, an Xbox Wireless controller, and an HDMI cable. Microsoft is also offering one month of free subscription to Xbox Game Pass to new buyers. The console has 6 teraflops GPU compared to the PS4 Pro’s 4.2 teraflops.
Sony could still give Microsoft’s console a tough fight. It has a bigger library of exclusive titles than Microsoft. The Japanese company argues that everything eventually comes down to exclusive titles. On top of that, the PS4 Pro is now about a year old. Sony could slash its price by $100 or more to attract buyers. At $299 or $249, the PS4 Pro could eat into the sales of both the Xbox One X and One S.
Microsoft recommends Samsung QLED 4k TV to Xbox One X buyers
Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced the TV it recommends to Xbox One X users to fully enjoy the 4K gaming experience. The Redmond company recommends Samsung’s QLED 4K TVs to the One X buyers. The combination might offer a great experience, but not everyone will be able to afford it. The One X costs $499. If you want to buy Samsung’s QLED TV, you’ll have to shell out $2,799. The TV offers 100% color volume and a peak brightness of 1,500 nits.
