Just curious if Microsoft is 'copying' Sony why do we know so much more about what Sony's competition is doing? Pretty sure most people would argue that Microsoft and Sony are NOT following the same marketing strategy. I have no idea what you are talking about with 'more and better' on your second point.
I meant the typical stuff they do every generation: more CPU/faster, more GPU/faster, more/faster memory, moref/faster storage... basically to get better visuals and audio, bigger games, etc. Same popular IPs with bigger games that will have better visuals in addition to new IPs. Improved versions of their technology, features and services (pad stuff/Remote Play/PS+/PS Now/PSVR or a better quality version of the checkerboard to resize the games to 4K/8K etc). Maybe this generatioin they buy a studio or two that worked with them in several games in the past, etc.
Not reinventing the wheel, following mostly their same current strategy doing again what already worked for them -most things- with the obvious next gen improvements, and tweaking/fixing the weaker areas (loading times, loud noise with some games, maybe server speed due to the related partnership they did with MS, etc).
Normal, being in a dominant position. Instead, MS has a way smaller market share so they heavily reworked their stuff betting on what works for them (Windows, so slowly moving their gaming division there) and trying to learn from what the competition does better: they bought a lot of gamedev studios to be more comparable with Sony, made their version of Remote Play and PS Now, switched their focus to from 'tv/tv/kinect/tv/sports' to games, etc. I assume that later this generation they'll join the VR wagon too, as they mentioned that they were planning to do in the past.
Sony already has the players convinced. I mean, they just shown the PS5 logo -that is literally just the PS4 logo replacing the 4 with a 5- (ultra mininum effort) and had an historical record in gaming social media. So Sony doesn't need to make a great marketing effort, MS is the one who needs to make a lot of marketing and PR to earn market share selling consoles and games. Even if it means they need to give away their AAA games for 'free' day one and stuff like that in a desperate move for attention.