'Competition Pushes Us to Innovate': Sony Weighs in Xbox's Potential Exit from Console Business 1
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Sony’s said that competition from rival console manufacturers drives it to innovate, although it’s not overly worried about Xbox’s potential exit from the business.

PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino was asked rather bluntly during an investors meeting whether he believes it’ll be good or bad for Sony if Microsoft decides to quit making hardware.

“We think that competition in the business is healthy and that pushes us to innovate,” he explained. “There are multiple participants who together drive the overall game industry, and while there are new engagement models being explored, we ultimately think this is a good thing.”

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Nishino, as you’d expect, implied his company is more focused on its own decisions, rather than the trajectory of others.

“As I mentioned earlier, we are confident and committed on our current strategy, and there isn't an urgent need for us to pivot,” he continued. “But we will continue to monitor play patterns.”

Microsoft, of course, has repeated on multiple occasions that it will release more hardware – although it’s expected its next console will be more like a PC than a traditional closed ecosystem. Strong speculation from a multitude of sources suggests it currently scrapped plans to make its own internal handheld, and is instead focusing on partnerships with other manufacturers, like Asus.

But the reality is that with or without Xbox, PlayStation faces intense competition from a variety of different directions. The new Nintendo Switch 2 is already shaping up to be a smash hit, while PC continues to grow and other entertainment options like streaming and social media are taking time away from gaming.

[source irwebmeeting.com]