Xbox One outsold PS 4 again in September
USA - A slimmer PlayStation 4 wasn’t enough to slow down Microsoft’s momentum. Xbox One was the top-selling home console in the United States September, according to data from industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. This marks the third straight month that Microsoft’s gaming system has beaten out the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Wii U in terms of units sold. After winning July and August, Microsoft has strung together a strong few months. But it’s important to note that summer and early fall only do a fraction of the sales that the industry will see in October or especially November and December. Microsoft has built up momentum coming out of the summer due in large part to aggressive price cuts and the introduction of the slimmer, sleeker Xbox One S hardware revision. Sony countered with a slimmed down revision of its own for the PS4 that debuted September 15 at $300. PlayStation fans, however, were likely saving their money for PSVR or the 4K-capable PlayStation 4 Pro system that is coming in November instead. Microsoft provided GamesBeat with the following statement from Xbox marketing boss Mike Nichols about the NPD’s September report: “Thanks to our fans, Xbox One was the bestselling console in September in the U.S. for the third month in a row according to NPD Group as well as the bestselling console in September in the U.K. according to GfK Entertainment UK. In addition, Xbox One was the only gen eight console to see yearover-year growth in September in the U.S., Australia, the U.K., and many other countries worldwide. This success was driven by our fans and their support for Xbox One S, which is the only console available this holiday with built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming and HDR for gaming and video. We received an incredible response to Forza Horizon 3, the No. 1 first-party title for September in the U.S., Australia, and U.K. according to NPD Group and GfK Entertainment UK. Global engagement on Xbox Live – the fastest, most reliable gaming network – continues to grow and the number of unique multiplayer users increased 57 percent year-over-year. With the blockbuster launch of Gears of War 4 for Xbox One and Windows 10 this week.”
(venturebeat)