Sony’s PlayStation 4 may have launched a week sooner than the Xbox One in the United States, but here in the UK, the opposite was true, with the Sony blockbuster arriving a week behind the Redmond company’s effort. While early pre-order figures seemed to swing in Microsoft’s favor – particularly after it sorted out those issues with regional locking, the playability of used games, and so on – the PS4 has, in its first 48 hours on sale, emerged as the fastest-selling console of all time in the UK. Considering that Sony has some ground to make up after losing out in the previous-gen console war, this is hugely indicative that the tables – and Sony’s fortunes – could finally be turning.
The Xbox One is selling well, as we know, but with the world seeming to take to the cheaper, more powerful PlayStation 4, the early signs are that the risky strategy of Microsoft’s to include Kinect as standard may not be working in its favor. The cost of Kinect has bumped up the price by over $100 over the PlayStation 4, and with this being the holiday season and whatnot, these factors can play a huge part in which console people decide to choose.
One significant point to consider is that those pre-ordering a new console are bound to be hardcore gamers, and with the PS4 seemingly designed with the avid gaming fan in mind, it perhaps doesn’t come as much of a surprise that consumers have flocked to what is clearly the stronger option.
It has been reported that the PS4 has sold over one quarter of a million units in the UK, which, if true, would be sales record. Since none of the numbers are official, it cannot yet be confirmed whether the PS4 is the top-selling console in history, but if this is indeed the case, one can rest assured that Sony will be coming through with an announcement fairly soon.
By comparison, insiders suggest the Xbox One shifted 150,000 in its first two full days; not bad, but when your arch nemesis has chalked up almost double that, it’s not much to write home about.
Still, it may just be that Sony’s inventory is a lot larger, hence the ability to sell more in such a short space of time. Even if this is the case, though, it would seem that Sony and the PS brand are very much back in business, and as the two main console vendors prepare for all-out war, the state of play seems finely poised.
The PS4 sold one million units in just 24 hours alone, and with these new numbers, it’s safe to bet that Sony’s new formula has worked after all.
(Source: MCVUK)
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