As the answers point out, PH=PSPACE would still have significant consequences, even though not as numerous and dramatic ones as NP=PSPACE.
Turning the issue on its head, it could be viewed as "empirical evidence" to support NP≠PH. After all, if NP=PH, then the two statements (PH=PSPACE and NP=PSPACE) must have the same consequences. As the second hypothesis has noticeably more and stronger known consequences, that can be viewed as empirical evidence to support that the left-hand sides in the equations must be different, that is NP≠PH (which, in turn, is equivalent to NP≠coNP).