Epic CAN compete, and Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, AND Nintendo have provided fairly clear steps on how to do so. First, create a hardware reference platform. If you want, you can license it to others, but that’s not required. Second, create an OS for that reference platform. Again, you CAN license it, but it’s not required. Third, create an App Store. You’re free to allow other App Stores on your OS if you like, but again, not required.
THEN, get millions upon millions of folks to buy that hardware and you’re done! It won’t be easy, it took Apple many many years to get where they are today. However, every year they wait is a year they could be making progress.