Gamers continue to flock to the latest hardware offerings from Sony and Microsoft, but only one can dominate this generation.
PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One once again at physical retailers in the United States in February, according to data from industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, which Sony Computer Entertainment America provided to GamesBeat. This continues a streak of wins for Sony’s home console that extends back through the holidays. In the last 14 months, the Xbox One has only outsold PS4 two out of the last 14 months. This has created a market where Sony is the clear the leader both in the States and worldwide — although the Xbox One continues to sell well and is generating revenue both for Microsoft and for third-party publishers. Gaming is a $99.3 billion business worldwide across all platforms, and the consoles make up a big piece of that.
Multinational conglomerates like Sony, Microsoft, and publisher Electronic Arts continue to invest in the space because it attracts a hardcore audience of people who spend a lot on both hardware and software. This is compared to mobile gaming or free-to-play PC games that generate the bulk of their revenue from a small percentage of the audience. Sony is in a position to capture the most of that energy, and it is going to try to translate that into even more cash by releasing the PlayStation VR peripheral for the PlayStation 4 later this year.
Here’s Sony’s full statement regarding the February NPD report:
“We would like to thank our fans and partners for making PlayStation 4 the top-selling hardware platform and the software sales leader in February, according to NPD. We continued to see strong year-over-year sales growth for PS4 hardware and software and are truly humbled by the support and enthusiasm from gamers. We will continue to deliver amazing gaming experiences with the upcoming launches of Ratchet & Clank, MLB The Show 16 and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.”