Following on from strong sales after launch late last year, Sony’s Playstation 4 console continues to lead the race when it comes to hardware sales compared to Microsoft’s Xbox One console. Figures released for AmericanJanuary sales showed that both consoles have sold well, but software sales have been down.
Industry analysts NPD group revealed that over a 5 week period in January spending on hardware went up by 17 percent, while software sales were down by a whopping 40%. Although Microsoft came away claiming the title for most software sales, a closer look shows that the Ps4 outperformed Xbox One software sales on most of the top ten titles. Call of Duty: Ghosts and Lego Marvel Super Heroes were the only exceptions in the list that Xbox One did better.
Speaking to VentureBeat, Sony spokesperson Guy Longworth said; “It’s clear gamers are choosing PlayStation as the best place to play, with PS4 software sales ranking No. 1 in January, highlighted by strong sales of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, which sold twice as many units on PS4 than any other platform,”
Both consoles are selling well, reflecting the appeal of Next-Gen hardware, however sales of physical software continue to fall as traditional console games face competition from casual games on smartphones and tablets. The ability to download and stream games on the new consoles will also be a factor impacting software sales in physical shops. Our view is that the trend will only continue as internet speeds continue to rise and everything around us becomes more connected. All is not yet lost though, and for those who prefer to own a physical copy of their content, the time when games become download only is not quite yet upon us.
[…] week we brought you news that the PlayStation 4 console was ahead in the Next-Gen console race after January figures for America were released. Now Sony has said today that the PS4 console has […]