The Xbox Series S|X was the best-selling console in the UK last month, beating Switch and PS5

Getting your hands on any video game console is proving to be quite the challenge at the moment, namely because the Nintendo Switch has seen increased sales since lockdown and the two next-gen boxes are constantly in and out of stock. However, while the general consensus amongst players is that PS5 is vastly outpacing Microsoft’s box in terms of popularity, recent sales numbers reveal that the Xbox Series S|X was the best-selling console in the UK for January, 2021.

The news comes courtesy of Gamesindustry.biz’s Christopher Dring, who Tweeted it out alongside an extra factoid: the past three months have each had a different best-selling console. PS5 was the big winner for November, Nintendo Switch took first prize in December, leading Xbox Series S|X to take charge last month. Stats like this prove just how hungry players still are for the two next-gen boxes, while the Nintendo Switch come out on top in the lead up to Christmas is expected seeing as it’s a family-focussed console.

Of course, it’s worth taking the three console’s rankings with a pinch of salt, particularly in the case of PS5 and Xbox Series X where people (and some bots) tend to buy up whatever stock is available. Both Sony and Microsoft are selling however much they’re able to make, which is a good position to be in but may be a problem when manufacturing for both next-gen consoles is expected to slow; AMD are struggling to make chipsets fast enough due to COVID-19 restraints.

January should still be considered a big win for Microsoft, who also recently announced that they had passed 18 million GamePass subscribers. This came after the tech giant’s Xbox Live Gold pricing blunder, but this was quickly reversed after fan outcry and poor player feedback.

Expect PS5 and Xbox Series S|X sales to continue to skyrocket over the coming months. As for the Nintendo Switch, two more console special editions are releasing very soon: The Mario Red + Blue bundle in February and the Monster Hunter: Rise special edition bundle in the following month.