Nintendo cannot be accused of being reactive with the Switch before the fast-approaching holiday season. At a time when sales and demand remain strong, the big N has been aligning a steady stream of varied games to keep the console on the broader gaming audience agenda. There are major titles like Metroid Dread and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl along the way, along with family-focused offerings like Mario Party Superstars and Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain. Add Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp and some intriguing third-party contributions, and there’s a lot to keep the system in the headlines.
Nintendo also made a change in the price of Switch by reducing the cost of the standard model, but this is currently the case not more in Europe. It seems to be an adjustment to take into account the upcoming OLED model, but also the imbalances caused by currency conversions, in which Europeans paid significantly more for hardware than American consumers. Clearly, with this in mind, along with their stock-level plans, price reduction makes sense: prices may remain locked in North America and Japan, but of course we’ll be watching for updates.
Overall, with the OLED model in the way Nintendo is set up with three different priced offerings and all without a doubt geared to demographic needs and specific needs. The switch may be delayed to long far behind the latest Sony and Microsoft systems from a graphical and power perspective, but it has a huge library as well as prices and availability next to him. With a strong momentum and positive projections coming out of Nintendo, it looks like it intends to have another strong holiday season.
While people no doubt like virtual cage fights between consoles, here we keep it civilized (we’re all fair) players of different types, after all) and seeing where each important system is located ahead of the holidays …
Nintendo Switch Family
Switch Lite: 199 USD / 199.99 GBP
The Switch Lite, like the previous 2DS, has a feature as a portable-only option and the most affordable member of the Switch family. Its sales flourished in 2020 as the availability of the standard model became an issue, but while the smaller budget model has its fans, trends show that it is clearly the second choice when it comes to original is on the shelves.
Still, it will probably go well, especially with a special edition of Pokémon as a gift option.
Switch – 299 USD / 259.99 pounds / 269.99 € (after reducing the regional price)
There is every chance that the standard model will be the best-selling Switch model until 2022. It offers the full set of Switch features at an average price that is likely to suit a wide range of gamers. It would not be surprising that some attractive packages and offers, aimed at the upcoming black Friday frenzy, would further boost sales of this experienced model.
If Nintendo can keep the supply going, it’s likely to be another good winter for the system, especially considering the diversity of first-hand software that will be available in the coming months.
Change the OLED model: 349 USD / 309.99 GBP
Although there have been a lot of gnashing of teeth when it comes to the OLED system it is not, Nintendo knows very well what it offers with the system and its additional price of $ 50: it is the equivalent of XL models of the DS / 3DS era, with a little more luxury and a bigger screen. In any range of technology, they are premium models like this that often change fewer units, but nonetheless attract attractive enough consumers who wholeheartedly contribute to profits. While it is more expensive to produce than the base model, given the era of Switch technology, the profit margin of these models will also be a strong point.
Sales figures will be interesting, but we suspect the OLED model will have numbers similar to the Lite.
Sony PlayStation Family
PlayStation 5: $ 499USD / £ 499.99 (standard model) – $ 399USD / £ 399.99 (digital model)
A common thread of PS5 and its rival X Series S is that it will sell as many as Sony can produce. Sony will launch everything it has to produce stocks, building on existing exclusives and significant third-party efforts to maintain the convenience of the system. However, with some online reports indicating that “scalper” prices are falling (VGC), perhaps supply is starting to pick up.
PlayStation 5 will be a strong point in sales, ultimately, especially if Sony can do enough.
PlayStation 4: Approximately $ 299 USD for the standard model
It seems like most of it goes from PS4, which is not surprising, as it has already sold over 116 million units and led the latest generation; it is understandable that his momentum has fallen. It will still increase some limited sales, especially if there are some end-of-generation packages at tempting prices, but it looks like the stocks aren’t resting much in the U.S. market, for example, at the hands of resellers.
Sony wants gamers to buy a PS5, it just has trouble getting them on the shelves.
Microsoft Xbox Family
Xbox X Series | S – 499.99 USD / 499.99 GBP X Series – 299 USD / 299.99 GBP S Series
Microsoft’s challenge is the same as Sony’s: simply make enough systems to meet demand. The scalper market remains hot for the X Series, suggesting that the Game Pass’s aggressive expansion strategy, along with some genuine blockbusters for the holiday season, is bearing fruit; it may also indicate ongoing problems in supplying substantial replacements. It looks like Microsoft has been behind Sony in the manufacturing battle, but it will certainly sell as many X-series consoles as it can get in stores.
How many it can make that the problem. Meanwhile, the less expensive S Series is available more often and does not appear to come off the shelves, although Microsoft can expect a similar effect that the Switch Lite enjoyed last year, in which gamers desperate for updated versions of the new games will be “resolved” for the cheapest model if the premium offer is exhausted.
Xbox One / X
Surpassed by PS4 in the last generation at some distance, the Xbox One family of systems, however, paved the way for reasonable overall sales. As with the PS4 in the current market, outside of some budget and package collections, older hardware is now being overlooked, as stocks are shrinking and resellers are taking over in some territories.
What shape does Nintendo have when we enter the 2021 holiday season?
Nintendo, as usual, operates in a kind of “bubble”, with the hybrid nature of its hardware far removed from the offerings of home consoles from Microsoft and Sony. Apparently, the appeal of the Switch remains high, as its unique library and family / multiplayer format continue to work in its favor.
The standard model, with its price reduction in the EU (and possible Black Friday packages and deals in North America), remains the family’s likely workhorse in terms of sales. The Lite remains a good choice for those who are not interested in TV playback or looking for an affordable option as a second unit, while OLED is available for the premium / enthusiast market.
In many ways, the battles in stores will be quite separate: on the one hand, Sony and Microsoft will fight for the high-end saloon market, while Nintendo is targeting a wide range of gamers looking for a different experience. Nintendo is also continually competing with other smaller entertainment devices such as tablets, boosting its game library and features to showcase its capabilities.
On the big picture, Nintendo is probably relying on the holiday season, at least in terms of achieving its own goals. Multiple major versions aimed at a wide group of players, along with these hardware options and pricing to suit different people, should look good. That May also get additional holiday gift purchases if Microsoft and Sony continue to struggle to meet demand, as was the case a year ago, PS5 and Xbox Series X are likely to continue to sell out quickly.
Let us know in the following polls how you think Nintendo will come out in the coming months.