It is quite needless to say at this point that both the Xbox One from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 from Sony are two of the hottest properties, as far as the gaming industry is concerned. And such is the popularity of both these next generation consoles, that a massive sell out is expected as soon as the units get out for retail. Now analysts say that there is a high probability of that happening.
Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian recently discussed the probability of units running out, where he stated that both Microsoft and Sony will run into trouble during launch with shortage in units for the Xbox One and PS4. On a similar note, Mr. Sebastian also believes that both consoles will be launching in early November.
The analyst said that due to the initial "complexity" of coordinating the console launches and catering to the kind of demand both the companies are hoping for, "it is more likely than not that there will be initial shortages."
"This also partly explains why the manufacturers have been somewhat judicious in allocating pre-sale units to retailers, so that there won't be a lot of unhappy customers from day one," he told Gamespot.
Mr. Sebastian didn't say which console would hit the market first, but whichever appears first will obviously enjoy some advantages over its opponent.
"From a timing perspective, both platforms will want to launch before Thanksgiving/Black Friday, and ideally at least a couple of weeks in advance of that in order to replenish the retail channel. In terms of who goes first, it would certainly be ideal to launch first, and gain all of the initial attention and momentum, as console launches are really the only equivalent of a 'red carpet' event for the industry," he added.
While everyone is still awaiting a concrete release date for any of these consoles, Microsoft did earlier state that the Xbox One will launch in November, but a specific date was never mentioned. On the other hand, Sony has been sending out more or less vague details about PS4's launch by keeping the date in the "holiday season" of 2013, and this has remained the same since the console's reveal event in February this year. When the consoles do arrive, the PlayStation 4 will retail for $399 and the Xbox One for $499.
