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Strategy Analytics thinks the upcoming console generation will fall well short of the financial success enjoyed by our current machines.
As well as predicting a 15 per cent decline year-on-year for console hardware sales in 2013, the firm also reckons that the expected peak in 2016 will still represent a 33 per cent decline over the industry’s record year in 2008.
"While Wii U, Xbox One, and PS4 hold the promise and technological prowess to transform gaming in the living room, this may only benefit core gamers," director of connected home devices David Watkins stated.
"Casual gamers are sufficiently happy with cheaper gaming options on more ubiquitous devices like smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and Digital Media Adapters, which will naturally depress the highs the industry achieved with the Nintendo Wii."
Strategy Analytics also believes the PS4 will get off to a stronger start than its rival Xbox One due to several unforced PR errors with the gaming community on the part of Xbox One” but that in the long run, however, we expect Xbox One to make up some lost ground against PS4 as consumers begin to realize the full range of multimedia capabilities the device has to offer”.
It expects Xbox One to maintain Microsoft’s market-leading position in the US, with PlayStation remaining in favour in Europe and Japan.
In the UK, of course, things are a bit different with Xbox 360 having enjoyed the most dominance in the region throughout the last generation.
