The battle of the next-gen consoles is in full swing, and although it’s too early to tell which will emerge victorious, Sony and the PlayStation 4 have been edging in front since day one. In the latest figures from NPD, the Japanese outfit managed to shift a whopping six million units of the PlayStation 4 worldwide as of March 2nd, and although we don’t have the corresponding Xbox One numbers, it’s safe to say that, during these first few months, Sony is comfortably ahead of its main adversary.
The fact that the PlayStation 4 launched earlier in the U.S. market, is one hundred bucks cheaper and more powerful than the Xbox One probably has quite a bit to do with Sony’s impressive start, but considering the manner in which the Xbox 360 brought the PlayStation brand’s dominance to an abrupt end last time around, the Asian electronics firm will surely be happy with the current state of play.
What’s most impressive about these stats is that they only take into account one week of sales in Japan, a nation which is famously loyal to Sony. Since February 22nd, when Sony’s newest entertainment machine launched its native land, 370,000 units have been shifted, but one suspects that after the month of March has passed, sales might have doubled or even trebled past the magic million as gaming fans flock to stores for the latest and greatest.
Even just a few months in, Microsoft is under immense pressure to keep up with Sony. The decision to bundle the revamped Kinect sensor was logical given how popular the initial version was, but with hardcore gamers usually among the first to go out and purchase new consoles, it’s no surprise that early adopters appear to have shunned the improved motion / voice-sensing tech in favor of the raw power of the PlayStation 4.
The various controversies leading up to the Xbox One’s release regarding used games, regional locking, and other such scandal, definitely hasn’t helped the Redmond’s cause, and you do feel as though the company is already playing catch-up in a market which, not long ago, it was leading.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see whether the sales begin to swing in Microsoft’s favor, or if Sony can continue its exceptional start. You do feel, though, that if the Xbox One doesn’t begin to pick up, that the PS4 could already be out of sight come the end of the year.
Thoughts?
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