The pre-Christmas season is usually the golden hour of the gaming industry. But this year it won't be quite as bright for Nintendo and Sony. With the Switch, a seven-year-old console, and a new PlayStation 5 Pro priced at a hefty $700, the two Japanese giants face a challenging season. The gaming world is wondering: Where is the big hit?

It looks bleak this year," says Gareth Sutcliffe of Enders Analysis. And he is not alone in his opinion: analysts and fans are anticipating the holiday season with skepticism – which could possibly be without new blockbusters in the gaming universe. Those who hoped that Nintendo and Sony would shake up the end of the year with big news might be disappointed.

Kein frischer Wind für die Gamer

While Sony Recently Launched the PlayStation 5 Pro, the Model Received Mixed Reactions from Fans.

Nintendo goes in a different direction. Instead of focusing on a new, exciting model, they continue to concentrate on the well-established Switch. The company originally planned to sell 13.5 million units by the end of March – now the forecasts have been lowered to 12.5 million. A clear signal that the old console is slowly losing its appeal. Industry experts have long speculated about a new generation from Nintendo – and expect the announcement of a successor in the coming year.

Die Hardware-Revolution bleibt aus

The console generation has apparently surpassed its zenith: While new devices used to hit the market every five years, the PlayStation and Switch are already in the eighth year of their life cycles. Sales figures are stagnating, and the market seems saturated. Some experts, like Robin Zhu from Bernstein, therefore believe that the future will be "post-hardware" – meaning without dedicated consoles. Cloud gaming and cross-platform games could increasingly compete with traditional consoles.

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Nintendo im Kreuzfeuer der Erwartungen

But Nintendo seems to be following its own path. The success of the Switch has shown the industry that handheld devices with docking functionality are indeed viable for the future. Many are eagerly waiting to see if Nintendo can achieve another technological coup. Speculations are intensifying that the successor to the Switch will be backward compatible, allowing the millions of games released for the Switch to also run on the new device.

Serkan Toto, an expert at Kantan Games, believes that Nintendo is in a challenging transition phase: "Nintendo needs to continue supporting the current console while holding back the real blockbusters for the launch of the new device." A balancing act that will show how willing fans actually are to wait for the next console—and how long the Switch can survive as a bestseller.

Die teure Zukunft des Gamings

Consoles are reaching the limits of demand," explains Sutcliffe.

Even the Pricing of the PS5 Pro Becomes a Strategy: Zhu from Bernstein Compares it to a "GTI Version of a VW Golf – the Hot Brother of a Mainstream Product, Aimed at Enthusiasts." The High Price Threshold Also Sparks Discussions. Critics Online Are Not Holding Back on the PS5 Pro Price, Which Provides Nintendo the Opportunity to Sell the Next Switch at a Juicier Price of 400 or Even 450 US Dollars – Without Risking Outrage from the Fan Community.

“People only buy consoles every few years nowadays,” says developer Miguel Angel at the Tokyo Game Show. “Gaming has become expensive, and consumers feel it.” Whether Nintendo will find the right price for the Switch successor and whether Sony will continue to focus on premium niche products remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the gaming industry is at a turning point – and fans are ready for a change.