It is obvious what they’re doing. They know the multiplat performance differences are going to be devastating, not to mention Game Pass. This is a desperation move. I know that many here like to live in an alternate reality where Sony is “destroying” Microsoft, but this simply isn’t the case. MS basically gave Sony a free ride last gen by fucking up the One launch. That isn’t happening this time. Sony can’t afford to be “pro-consumer” - MS could buy Sony and send it to the delete bin without even effecting their bottom line. Sony does not make big money selling more consoles in Europe. MS doesn’t need to “win” the console sales game, but for Sony it is literally their lifeline.
The muliplatform differences will likely be in the PS5's favor. XSX will have a slight resolution advantage thanks to having 18% more TFLOPs, but that will be the max difference and hardly noticeable at resolutions near 4K. Meanwhile the PS5 will be streaming ~3.7 GB more data per second during gameplay. That's 3.7 GB higher quality texture, geometry, audio, animation... every second. You'll need a Digital Foundry episode to notice the 18% difference in resolution, but the higher asset quality will stand out like a sore thumb. That's proven by the fact that regular TV looks better a 1080p than any game. Resolution is nice, but it is image quality that matters most.
Game Pass will not be devastating to Sony. It only sounds that way because it works best for game enthusiasts who like to post on message boards. For the vast majority of gamers who only play a few of the biggest games of the year, Game Pass does nothing for them. They'll be buying and playing Madden, CyberPunk, Assassin's Creed, Mortal Kombat, and so on that won't be offered at launch on Game Pass. Game Pass only makes sense for gamers who play a lot of games and are constantly looking for new ones. They need a less expensive way to sample a bunch of them that they wouldn't normally buy.
Finally, the idea that Microsoft is willing to throw virtually unlimited amounts of money at Xbox isn't supported by the facts. The reality is Microsoft has been very cost conscious when it comes to Xbox. They cut Kinect instead of subsidizing it. They got rid of game dev studios when they thought third party would be enough. Reports are that part of Halo: Infinite's problems are due to MS not being willing to pay for full time employees and are constantly hiring temporary contract workers on the cheap as a perpetual band-aid fix.
So no, Sony isn't desperate. At least they are no more desperate than MS. Both companies are trying to get the best advantage they can at the start of the new generation. You can't blame Sony for not being “pro-consumer” because they bought some exclusives content in games, when MS bought whole companies like Ninja Theory and made the squeal to Hell Blade, a franchise started on PS4, an XSX exclusive.
Your complaints just sound like you are more worried Sony is playing the game better than MS rather than MS being in a dominant position.
