Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft- are they still rivals

Do these companies still compete with each other like they used to?

  • Yes

    Votes: 23 26.4%

  • No

    Votes: 31 35.6%

  • Partially (about 10% overlap)

    Votes: 33 37.9%
  • Total voters
    87
RetroGamingUK

RetroGamingUK

Member
Sony - the biggest home console company in history currently having yet another hugely successful generation with home consoles. We've seen an increase of games on PC this generation with live service games even appearing on Xbox. They did have a dedicated handheld platform with PSP and Vita, but they left that market.

Nintendo - the biggest handheld console company in history currently having huge success with its hybrids, Switch 1 and Switch 2. Their IP are now approaching 40 years old and they're completely unique. Now firmly integrated with ARM and nVidia mobile chips, their days of making powerful home consoles is over.

Microsoft - a former big player in home consoles has seen a huge and increasing pivot towards Windows, subscriptions and full third party publishing. With an upcoming Windows handheld (that doesn't play Xbox games) and rumoured Windows powered OEM machines coming.

It seems now, to me, that's these 3 companies are no longer in competition with each other.

Sony has won the home console war

Nintendo has won the handheld war

Microsoft has won the computer war (SteamOS and MacOS will never topple Windows).

Are they now done trying to compete with each other? Has each company realised their strengths and weaknesses and decided to focus on different markets?
What do you think?
 
To clarify the "Partially" poll option

I think there's small parts of the market that might spend time weighing up something like…

Should I buy a PS5 or a compact PC to play the latest GTA game and more on my TV

Should I buy an Switch 2 or Xbox ROG Ally X to play Cyberpunk on my commute

Parents weighing up buying a PS5 with AstroBot or Switch 2 with Donkey Kong this Christmas
 
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Eh I don't know if Microsoft won the computer war based on what you said. MacOS doesn't wanna appeal to a wider audience and limit their os to thir own products, and SteamOS is for gaming, they don't recommend to use the OS for any other stuff.
 
MS can't compete with anyone. Sony can't compete with Nintendo because one is making games for adults, while the other is focusing children, those who've never held a controller in their lives, and nostalgic af millennials that would buy anything with a Nintendo sticker on the box. So no, no rivalry left.
 
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Baemono said:
Eh I don't know if Microsoft won the computer war based on what you said. MacOS doesn't wanna appeal to a wider audience and limit their os to thir own products, and SteamOS is for gaming, they don't recommend to use the OS for any other stuff.
Click to expand...

Makes sense

Microsoft don't want a repeat of 2013 where they spent billions investing in consoles over the past decade only to lose it all

Windows has such a monopoly it's a ridiculous, a focus on PC gaming is the smart move for them.
 
Microsoft is about as much of a rival as Sega at this point.

There have been three different groups with different niches since the Wii - Nintendo, PC and PlayStation + Xbox.

The only two going after mostly the same demographic was Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo bailed after the GameCube and went after a different group. There has always and will always be people who will only game on PCs or only on consoles.

This all stays the same, except now Xbox is removed from the "hardcore" console segment. There just wasn't room for both trying such similar things and PlayStation was the easy winner.

Microsoft will continue to be successful as a publisher, like EA, SquareEnix, Sega, etc. (Assuming they don't give up or continue closing studios).
 
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Sony have been supporting Nintendo since the 80's

nintendo.fandom.com

Microsoft

Microsoft is Nintendo's second biggest competition along with Sony. As well as making computers, Microsoft also made the Xbox line of video game consoles. They are also the owners of one of the biggest IPs this century, Minecraft. They currently support cross play with Nintendo. The Xbox was...
nintendo.fandom.com nintendo.fandom.com
Microsoft have been supporting Nintendo since the 90's

Only fanboys think those two are in this for anything but money.
 
Nope. Not when both Sony and Microsoft have started down the road of publishing games on the other's platform.

Nintendo has been doing its own thing for a while now.
 
Topher said:
Nope. Not when both Sony and Microsoft have started down the road of publishing games on the other's platform.
Click to expand...

These platforms are becoming very different though, with PS5 (and likely PS6) being traditional subsidised consoles and the Xbox ROG Ally X and next gen Xbox being more like ORM PCs
 
Do nothing and your enemies lose

ThriftyYoungHawk-small.gif
 
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RetroGamingUK said:
These platforms are becoming very different though, with PS5 (and likely PS6) being traditional subsidised consoles and the Xbox ROG Ally X and next gen Xbox being more like ORM PCs
Click to expand...

Sure, and that makes them rivals even less. Next Xbox console will have Steam and you'll be able to play PC versions of PlayStation games on it. PlayStation knows there is very little they can do to stop it so they are embracing the change and becoming a third party publisher for Xbox just as MS is for PlayStation. That's how I see this shaking out anyway.

RetroGamingUK said:
Looking at Steambox and Steamdeck sales, they will rely on Microsoft's platform for the foreseeable.
Click to expand...

And? Windows is an open platform.
 
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Topher said:
Sure, and that makes them rivals even less. Next Xbox will have Steam and you'll be able to play PC versions of PlayStation games on it. PlayStation knows there is very little they can do to stop it so they are embracing the change and becoming a third party publisher for Xbox just as MS is for PlayStation. That's how I see this shaking out anyway.
Click to expand...
Steve Bannon Bingo GIF
 
Hookshot said:
https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Sony
Sony have been supporting Nintendo since the 80's

https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Microsoft
Microsoft have been supporting Nintendo since the 90's

Only fanboys think those two are in this for anything but money.
Click to expand...

I have no clue what you're trying to say here. And I'm also unsure why you're outright stating that Microsoft and Sony are only in it for the money, but your omission of Nintendo implies that you think they aren't in this for the money. Nintendo is also a for-profit company, and they are absolutely only in this for the money as well.
 
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Topher said:
Sure, and that makes them rivals even less. Next Xbox will have Steam and you'll be able to play PC versions of PlayStation games on it. PlayStation knows there is very little they can do to stop it so they are embracing the change and becoming a third party publisher for Xbox just as MS is for PlayStation. That's how I see this shaking out anyway.
Click to expand...
The truth. Another truth is that no one WANTS to produce hardware for razor thin profit margins. If they can make bigger profits through software alone, they will.
 
The rivalries are mostly among the most dedicated of fans. The first priority of these companies is money and they're going to do what they think will make them more of it.
 
Microsoft compete with Google and Amazon

Sony compete with their leadership

Nintendo compete with Nintendo
 
adamsapple said:
No, they all want money regardless of how.
Click to expand...

But neither seems willing to risk stepping on one of the other's toes and getting into a "console war anymore"

Nintendo are done making dedicated home consoles with good specs

Microsoft are done making dedicated home consoles that are subsidised and support physical media

Sony are done making handhelds with their own set of dedicated games

It seems neither want to make a platform similar to their former rivals and compete directly, instead they're focusing on their strengths in unique games while also sharing some games with each other.
 
TintoConCasera said:
Steam runs on Windows fella.

Stop making up fuel for your console warring fetish lol.
Click to expand...

Steam does indeed run on Windows, but not the OS

Nor am I pushing a console war, very much the opposite. I'm suggesting that all 3 are now focusing on distinct platforms that compliment each other more than competing as they did in the 00s and 10s.
 
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RetroGamingUK said:
But neither seems willing to risk stepping on one of the other's toes and getting into a "console war anymore"

Nintendo are done making dedicated home consoles with good specs

Microsoft are done making dedicated home consoles that are subsidised and support physical media

Sony are done making handhelds with their own set of dedicated games

It seems neither want to make a platform similar to their former rivals and compete directly, instead they're focusing on their strengths in unique games while also sharing some games with each other.
Click to expand...
So much wrong with this post but we will see
 
RetroGamingUK said:
Steam does indeed run on Windows, but not the OS

Nor am I pushing a console war, very much the opposite. I'm suggesting that all 3 are now focusing on distinct platforms that compliment each other more than competing as they did in the 00s and 10s.
Click to expand...

Windows dominance is irrelevant when Steam is king and will run on all the operating systems you listed.
 
Topher said:
Me either. They don't care about money. They just want to be our friends
Click to expand...



They all wasted millions, even billions trying to usurp a rival in their key area and gotten nowhere

PSP and PS Vita tried to usurp Nintendo's handhelds, got nowhere

Xbox, 360, One and series all tried to usurp PlayStation home consoles, got nowhere

Wii U anyone?
 
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RetroGamingUK said:
They all wasted millions, even billions trying to usurp a rival in their key area and gotten nowhere

PSP and PS Vita tried to usurp Nintendo's handhelds, got nowhere

Xbox, 360, One and series all tried to usurp PlayStation home consoles, got nowhere

Wii U anyone?
Click to expand...

Xbox 360 made huge strides against PlayStation. Ended the generation virtually tied in number of consoles sold. PSP was also very successful even if it didn't beat DS. PlayStation jumped into the market against an already established Nintendo and Sega. So plenty of attempts to "usurp" in console history. Some were successful, some were not.
 
They literally sued each other for Activision. They make deals for one platform be left out of the marketing of another one.

This is competition. Not as ferocious, but they would jump in each other's throats given the chance.
 
BennyBlanco said:
Steam has spent 0 dollars advertising anything and has more users than the entirety of PSN and 2 super successful GaaS games. Lmao.
Click to expand...
They just paid for a big ass spot at the game awards. Literally the entire intro of the show was the biggest ad of the night and it was for Steam.
 
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Punished Miku said:
They just paid for a big ass spot at the game awards. Literally the entire intro of the show was the biggest ad of the night and it was for Steam.
Click to expand...
I could see Geoff doing that for free for the sake of his networking and sneakers collection.
 
RetroGamingUK said:
And look where it got them?

Didn't they lose billions in the process through RROD then lost a load of marketshare immediately after?
Click to expand...

Both 360 and PS3 ended up selling somewhere in the mid-80 million mark. If you are going to say that wasn't a huge accomplishment for Xbox then I don't know what to tell you. Xbox was in a prime position for the next generation and then screwed it all up with the Xbox One disaster.
 
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