Sony will be “playing catch-up” with the PS4

According to Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities, Microsoft is in prime position to win the next-generation with the Xbox 720.  The analyst made bold predictions for the console at SXSW in Austin, TX over the weekend.  Pachter’s PowerPoint presentation was leaked, and gave his views on the state of the gaming industry.

Pachter believes that Microsoft will “win the next generation”, claiming that the “TV Tuner” and “Skype” applications will be big for the next Xbox.  He doesn’t think Sony is down for the count by any means, he explained that “Sony thrives in the next generation”, but that Sony is “still playing catch-up”.  He also believes that Gaikai is huge for Sony and is an advantage for the company.

“Microsoft will win the next generation,” said Pachter at SXSW

With recent reports that Sony’s sales have rallied past Microsoft in a worldwide tally, we’re wondering who Sony is trying to catch up to when new consoles release.  It’s hard to imagine that it will be Nintendo this time around, but Sony surely has its work cut out for it in the North American market.

North America hasn’t been kind to Sony over the past few years.  Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has continued to dominate in the region, month-in and month-out, according to NPD sales data.

The analyst has been vocal about Nintendo’s missteps as of late, and his presentation didn’t let them off the hook.  He thinks Nintendo will face significant challenges because of their choices with the Wii U, and that their handheld business will continue to erode because of the continued growth of smart phones and tablets.

Microsoft has yet to even officially announce their next-gen hardware.  It’s assumed that the company will reveal the Xbox successor some time this spring.  Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation 4 will be available this holiday season, and it could be a big decision for consumers if Microsoft plans to launch their console in the same window.