In a surprising twist, Sony Interactive Entertainment has been said to be carrying out surveys among PlayStation users to get their input on the recently launched Nintendo Switch 2. The action, coming even days after Nintendo’s extensive explanation of their new console, demonstrates a keen interest from one of their biggest competitors.
Based on reports, the survey asked PlayStation Network account holders everything there is to know about the Switch 2. Ranging from assessing the buyer’s interest in buying Nintendo’s new handheld to determining if the Switch 2 announcement altered their view of both Sony and Nintendo. Aside from the above, the survey asks PlayStation gamers what among the Switch 2 features interests them most.
Specifically, the survey also mentions Nintendo’s new pre-order policy for the Switch 2, providing long-term Nintendo Switch Online subscribers with high playtime discounts. This mention indicates that Sony is not only focused on the hardware and its components but also on consumers’ reactions to Nintendo’s sales policy.
Whereas it is routine for platform owners to carry out market research in the wake of major announcements from competitors regarding new products, the breadth and nature of Sony’s research into the Switch 2 have been raise-an-eyebrow amongst gamers. It is thought by some analysts that this action is indicative of a desire by Sony to re-enter the dedicated handheld segment of the market, where they previously led with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita. The popularity of the PlayStation Portal remote play device has perhaps also been a driver behind this consideration.
Whether the findings of this poll will directly influence Sony’s long-term hardware plan is debatable. But this poll definitely increases the profile and interest in Nintendo Switch 2 in the wider gaming public. To old hands at watching the gaming business, all this is a choreographed dance, a discreet recognition of a competitor’s move and a measured appraisal of intelligence in the continuing game of console war.
