PS4, Wii U, Xbox One combined unit sales to be 5% lower than current gen - research firm

Cloud-based streaming won't be a selling point for next-gen consoles, according to a new report from ABI Research, which also doesn't expect unit sales to reach those of current-gen systems within the first five years at market.

The research firm predicts the combined unit sales of PS4, Wii U and Xbox One to hit around the 133 million mark within the first five years of launch - a 5% decrease compared with current-gen unit sales of 140 million.

ABI Research feels the decline in unit sales will be due to the current availability of less expensive streaming devices such as "Roku, Netgear, WD, Apple and Seagate, among others," along with Ouya and the 13-year lift on the console ban in China.

"Without solid titles and first-party franchises, platforms will have a difficult time finding traction," noted the firm's practice director Sam Rosen. "Streaming media is not enough when low-cost STBs are readily available.

"While we don’t anticipate a drop-off in game console households, barring significant changes to less developed console markets in Asia and Latin America there isn’t a great deal of growth opportunity beyond the current installed base."

"With many of the casual gaming segment embracing mobile devices for gaming, without a shift in strategy and pricing the Wii U will likely fail to match the success of the Wii, which will impact future console shipments," added senior analyst Michael Inouye.

Thanks, Game Politics.