It’s no secret that the PlayStation 4 has had a great time ever since it launched back in the end of 2013. A clear message, tons of games, and a perfect price point (when compared to the competition) made it the go to platform for those looking to upgrade to the next generation.
The problem is that Sony is no stranger to hubris. You need only look at the launch of the PlayStation 3 and all of the recovering that the company had to do there to see that. After a phenomenal first year out of the gate, there was a bit of a worry that Sony would rest on its laurels and just try and sail through the year. It wouldn’t have been a completely bad move as it would have allowed them to focus on prepping their next strategy, but fans would have probably been less than happy.
So, the PlayStation team had to do something to get through the year and have a repeat of their previous success. This wouldn’t be easy though because their competition decided to kick it into high gear. The Xbox One was not trying to have another slow year and that meant showing off tons of exclusives, dropping the price, and introducing some impressive features for the console. Features like remote access from Windows 10 devices and legitimate backwards compatibility.
PlayStation’s first year was all about games and setting up a new ecosystem that included the Vita and Virtual Reality. They were going to have to show and prove if they were to keep up with the rising phoenix that was Microsoft’s console.
Their approach would come from several fronts, and while the year can be considered slow in some aspects, the company did an excellent job of selling the platform.
By the way, check out our Xbox One year in review over here.