September 2014 NPD: PS4 outsells Xbox One despite Microsoft giving away a free game with its new console

Sony’s co-marketing deal for Destiny helped the PlayStation 4, but Microsoft had some good luck with its own free-game promotion as well.

Consumers spent $1.1 billion on new physical games and consoles at U.S. retailers during the five-week period from Aug. 31 to Oct. 4, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. That is up 2 percent from $1.08 billion over a similar period in 2013. The year-long trend of new-console sales making up for lackluster software continued once again.