We’ve already posted several blogs analysing the big three consoles’ performance over the last few months, including this one where where we found the Xbox One had edged the PS4 and Nintendo Switch in terms of unit sales over Black Friday.
The main takeaways from our posts was that the gaming industry was in better health than it had been for years. Not since the time of the Wii had there been three bonafide console contenders in play at the same time. Thanks to the Switch, the competition is now stronger, and that inevitably leads to higher quality games and more consumer-friendly deals.
Better yet, though the Xbox and PlayStation are competitors, the Switch is more complementary. You can own Nintendo’s new console with one of Sony or Microsoft’s devices and have little or no crossover between games. The Switch’s handheld mode gives it an added dynamic that will tempt seasoned Xbox and PlayStation fans to invest.
More good news has today come from the US. GameSpot report on Tweets from Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg that indicate that the Switch was the best selling console in the US over December. This represents a huge victory for Nintendo, a company who were said to be making one final big gamble on saving their console business when they released the Switch.
Was trying to just thank folks for supporting us and the incredible success following the launch of Xbox One X. But yes Xbox outsold PS4 in December for Gen 8 consoles according to NPD data, while Nintendo also had a great month as Switch had most overall units.
— Aaron Greenberg 🍗🔥🍳🙅‍♂️ (@aarongreenberg) January 12, 2018
In second came the Xbox (combined sales of the S and the X) followed by the PS4 (Slim and Pro). We found that based on our numbers, the Xbox was the best-selling console (helped by some outstanding deals), followed by the PS4 and then the Switch. However, looking at total basket value, the numbers were much closer. The PS4 enjoyed a slight victory in a roughly even split.
The UK market has traditionally skewed toward PlayStation and been less favourable to Nintendo than the US, so this isn’t a huge surprise. What the December numbers do show is the worldwide appeal of the Switch, and the fact that its strong start wasn’t just hardcore Nintendo fans picking the console up.
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