Batten the hatches, spit in Shawn Layden's face, and curse Kaz Hirai's complacency: Sony failed to defeat the Xbox One in the September NPD, meaning that's three times in a row now that the PlayStation 4 has not been the best-selling system in the United States. We suppose after three straight years on top, it had to give everyone else a chance.
Realistically, though, the platform holder won't be happy with this result. September saw the release of the PS4 Slim, which has proven more of a wet fart while the majority of consumers wait for the much more powerful PS4 Pro. Credit where credit's due, though: Microsoft has made the Xbox One S a more desirable product than its predecessor.
So, will Sony be sweating? Well, that will depend on the numbers; it could be that the PS4 was only bested by a couple hundred units, which basically amounts to a statistical error. Of course, if Microsoft is gaining in the hundreds of thousands – which we strongly doubt – then it's going to need to reconsider its strategy.
But with the PS4 Pro due out next month and already putting up strong pre-orders, then it certainly won't be sweating just yet. Still, seeing as Microsoft is already crashing the price of its console, it's going to be interesting to see where both manufacturers go on Black Friday – could we see sub-$200 systems in the aftermath of Thanksgiving?
[source venturebeat.com]
Comments 37
Think one area Sony need to improve is allow early access games "Aplha/Beta" Microsoft have done this and couple of my friends have moved over, fed up of having to wait like a year or so before the full game is released.
@Midzark What do you mean? Like, Early Access games?
No thanks!
Put the PS4 up for $150 and I might pick it up.
Given the amount of standard PS4s in people's homes I'm not suprised the Slim hasn't done well. It's not like the majority of people will upgrade a perfectly working console for a facelift model. As mentioned, those who do want an upgrade will wait for the Pro.
How far ahead is the PS4 in the US? Do we know? Last I heard it was around 15 million stronger worldwide, right?
@XCWarrior says: "Give me a free PS4, or better yet pay me to receive one, and I might pick one up" 🙄
@ShogunRok It's more than that worldwide. But in the US specifically, there's only a couple of million in it. Continental Europe and Asia is where the PS4 is absolutely dominating.
I am SURE if SONY did as many Firesales as MS have done these past 3 months they would of Won it to + If SONY are going to release a PS Slim next Gen then don't do it the same time as announcing a better version to?! People will wait for the better version like with the PS4Pro and the PS4 Slim at the moment.
@ShogunRok @get2sammyb That was for the month of September? I can't remember the Slim release date, but it was mid-September, and nobody was buying a PS4 the first 2 weeks of September while they waited. X1S launched in late August I believe, at which time Gamestop and others started selling the old model for $239.
So for September we are really looking at 2 weeks of Slim sales vs. an entire month of new X1S sales plus all of the old models being clearanced out. I don't think PS4 ever had a chance, nor is it a very fair comparison. Numbers don't lie, but it was an odd month.
Not sure how October will turn out with so much emphasis on PSVR, but November and December with Pro should be better, unless MS tries to push it's low end 500GB model down to $199 while keeping 1 and 2TB higher. Make it the budget model, like the old 12GB PS3. Maybe bundle it with older kid games like Lego Jurassic Park or something. Or Minecraft, since they own it and it won't cost them anything. If I were them I'd bundle Minecraft in every Xbox sold, it's only $30 but it could unite all X1S systems. Plus there's at least $30 worth of DLC, probably more like $50.
Its hardly surprising the sales figures are favouring MS right now. The XB1s has all the functionality of the XB1 but adds a 4k HDR Bluray, 4k Streaming and of course HDR gaming. It may not add 'much' to the gaming side - apart from HDR of course but it does give people a reason to upgrade and the new design with inbuilt power brick looks a lot better than the 'PS4 Slim'.
The PS4 slim essentially has slightly less functionality than the PS4 with the removal of its optical port. It maybe quieter but that's hardly a big reason to upgrade. Sony also have PSVR out this month and PS4 Pro next month - 2 expensive items. The Slim almost seems 'pointless'. I can see why Sony released it to keep the 'family' looking similar and for those looking for a 'cheap' PS4 but surely the Pro offers a more enticing option for those looking to join the PS4 nation and also for those considering replacing/upgrading their existing PS4 - even if you have a 1080p TV.
I know the PS4 now offers HDR too but HDR10 is a 4k specification - one of the specifics is 3840 x 2160 resolution (min) for all HDR TV media so I doubt we will see any 1080p HDR TV's. Those looking for HDR gaming would probably go with the PS4 Pro as they would own a 4k TV.
I can see Sony returning to the Top next month but I still expect that the XB1s will continue to outsell the PS4 and slim model. Its still cheaper than dedicated 4k Blu-ray players and even the Slim with the 500gb model at £225 with Fifa - its not as if you can't increase the storage with an external HDD either. For around £325, you could have an XB1s and a 5TB external.
Ps4 slim is just too expensive, it should be sold at $250 (like in japan) with no game rather than $300 with game. Also ps4 pro is better deal than the slim, 2x the power with just $100 more and support sata 3.0 for faster loading time, so maybe people waiting for the pro instead.
I am not surprised at all, too close to PS Pro release. First there were longtime rumors, now there's the officially announced Pro, so:
a) majority of users are holding their breath to see if Pro is worth extra money, rather than making any rushed monetary decisions on the eve of release. After release they will either upgrade to Pro, Slim or will not upgrade at all.
b) part users already sold their units before the price dropped severely. This flooded the used console market. New potential users bought those secondhand units instead of new.
@kyleforrester87 tbh i think sony just wanted a small ps4 that looked similar in design to pro and made more money per unit sold honestly.
i suspect PS4 will take November-January.
That's because they keep delaying their games! The average consumer doesn't care about the last guardian.
Yeah, kinda makes sense for MS to pick up another month. I bought a PS4 slim but only because i didn't have a base PS4 and all the stores were selling the slim cheaper than the original PS4 where i live (Vietnam). Pro sales will almost certainly push them back into the lead soon enough.
Tracking all this sales data is going to be way more complicated when there are 6/7 different versions of MS/PS consoles to track. Good luck with that, Pushsquare!
There's a small but dedicated group of people who wanted an X1 S just for 4K movies. Then there's hardcore gamers who want all the exclusives and were waiting for a version of the X1 that didn't suck. Then you got a big game like Gears 4 that can get people to sit up and take notice too. But as the rapper says...Don't call it a Comeback.
The imminent release of the Pro seems like the most likely candidate for the current drop in sales, but I wouldn't rule out that people are getting a little fed up of Sony due to the current run of negative press surrounding them. A combination of increasing the price of Plus, the No Man's Sky debacle which also brought back into focus Sony's draconian store policies, the denial of mods for Bethesda, charging for PS2 games rather than implementing BC like their competitors, many exclusives not appearing in their release windows leaving the line up a little sparse in that respect and probably a few things I'm forgetting (takes a breath) could well also be contributing to these decreased sales.
I'm not totally convinced the Pro will fly off the shelves, but that is probably because I'm dead against this mid generation refresh anyway. It tends to be the consoles which aren't leading the market that are the ones with the most consumer friendly features and due to that last gen we saw the PS3 catch up in sales to the X360, it is quite possible the turn around in Microsoft's policies may see that happen in reverse by the end of this gen.
@XCWarrior When we live in a world where a Wii U is worth 300 bucks, despite literally being dead, 150 bucks for a new PS4 isn't going to happen.
@Neolit What's really interesting about that chart isn't the XB1 vs PS4, it's the PSP raking in 80 mil. Funny, back in the day, everyone said the PSP failed just because the NDS did so well. It's sold roughly twice as much as the PS4, but because the PS4 is the "winner", people see it as more successful. Heck, it's outsold the 3DS by 20 million units! Just wow...
A victory well earned to be honest, MS has really stepped up its game and the One S is simply gorgeous. Couple that with occasional promotions with prices below the $250 for the 500gb FIFA or Madden bundle and you've got yourself a winner. MS is practically handing them out at this point and I still don't think they're losing money on it, so I feel this is the only right strategy for them at the moment. Black Friday will definitely see some insane deals on the green side like every year and I hope Sony is giving retailers the chance to stunt with the PS4 as well; Sony will profit even more with a big installbase now PSVR is out and they'll have to sell units without a profit to make more money in the long run.
The fact Xbox took it in the same month the PS4 slim released in the USA surpirised me, but sources claim they've sold more in the UK as well which is a way bigger shock. Not only did the PS4 have a extremely popular FIFA bundle too, the older PS4 models were sold at insanely low prices in the UK which should've spiked up the sales significantly.
I think Sony has no other than themselves to blame and I wonder where the confident yet humble console manufacturer from 3 years ago has gone. I see a company that's arrogant, which can't release a 1st party game on time if their lives depend on it, but more importantly: I see a company that fails at talking up their products the way they've been doing succesfully in the beginning of this generation.
Considering MS have been practically giving away the xbone it's hardly surprising. Besides most are waiting for Pro probably but who cares "Sony is getting complacent" you know the company that's just launched a VR headset and is soon launching a more powerful PS4. If that complacency then I'd love to know what happens when Sony actually tries.
@dichotomy Most of that so called negative headlines goes unnoticed by the casual audience, xbone is only perceived to be doing well because their spending more money then the Vatican on marketing, just to ram down their console down people's throats.
the difference in august was literally a few thousand.. it's not really like the XB1 is suddenly selling 100s of thousands more than PS4 every month. though sony's mixed message regarding the slim, PSVR, and PS4Pro hasn't exactly been helping recently. outside english speaking territories, the XB1 is mostly a footnote. i was in the netherlands last weekend, and the big media markt in den haag had about 200 copies of mafia 3 for PS4 and about 20 for XB1. FIFA was being marketed on billboards everywhere with PS4, despite MS supposedly having a marketing deal..
It'll pick up when Pro launch's I think, i'm fully expecting maybe wrongly that the Pro will outsell the PSVR and maybe boost PSVR sale's. I can only go off personal experience but i've spoken with many people that have said they are buying Pro but i've not tracked down anyone I know that will be buying PSVR on launch or any time in the near future really.
As @Boerewors mentions MS has stepped up its game. The last few months;
The better SKU
The best driving game
The (arguably) best 3rd person shooter
A larger than you realise back catalogue of pretty good games and lastly....
Lost Odyssey on rewind and the patch for Halo Reach to make the (totally arguably)greatest fps ever invented work on the x1 properly.
I really want the x1s, if I had room and didn't have a million kids I would be all over it like @anchorsam_9 and his Stevie g poster.
@Neolit great graph man, is that a snippet of the best selling consoles in the world ever?
@themcnoisy
Finding room for it is the easy part, it'll fit in your backpocket that's how small it is! Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit, but it sure is small. You wouldn't want to tuck it away though, cause it's a really good looking console.
And here's the best part for all you PS4 lovers with a 4K TV who want a 4K Blu Ray player: you can hook your PS4 up to your Xbox One and let the Xbox do the upscaling for you! It obviously isn't any good in a fighting game due to the input lag, but because the TV itself doesn't have to upscale, input lag is reduced tremendously if you let the One do the dirty work!
So after playing One on your PSVR you just play some 4K PS4 on your One S; what a world we live in!
I think that releasing the PS4pro after the PSVR is a huge mistake by Sony.
Whoever has the games will win, so I expect sony to perk up after the release of the pro unless Microsoft makes some big moves like a lost Odyssey sequel...
@sonicmeerkat is that a real rumour? If so woohoo!
@KAPADO me too, too many choices. On xbox there's one choice, the new console. On ps4 do I upgrade to pro, buy a quieter slim or go for VR? Sony have messed the launch schedule up.
It will likely be four months in a row with Gears of War 4 having just hit. With the better recent exclusives and the Xbox One S providing better value than PS4 Slim MS should keep the winning streak going a little longer. What happens when PS4 Pro releases and beyond is anybody's guess. At the end of the day, I think this is all kind of meaningless because we no longer get actual numbers. Very disappointing. The only reason PS4 being ahead for so long was noteworthy is because at the start of this generation many people, myself included, expected the Xbox One to be the better selling machine in North America. It may still happen but it will obviously not be the cake walk it was last time around.
@themcnoisy No sorry it's just what I'd like them to get made, assuming the IP is wholly theirs.
@Neolit The X1s just overtaken the Gamecube.
Given that the new Xbox actually IS a smaller version of the huge original Xbox one, I can see original owners opting for it.
Given the slim PS4 is barely smaller than a standard PS4 .... where's the point. Admittedly it's a lot slimmer than the PS4 pro, but so is my car to be honest.
Sony have done appallingly this generation and basically done gaming a dis-service. un-inspired hardware, zero innovation and they have turned the home console hardware market into the 90's PC graphic card market.
Every gen ALWAYS brought something new to add to the experience and take it a leap forward, warranting you abandoning your 5-7 year hardware and library you'd built up and diving into newer and fresher waters.
This gen, Sony have offered a baby step forward and re-bagdged it as a new generation, left it for 2 years then given you a slightly smaller version and wondered why you're not buying it. Then they've upgraded the original hardware already.
Sony are a hardware selling machine and have no insight or rightful position in the gaming industry. Sega are and we're appalling, but their hardware was driven by a desire to deliver the software and pushing new boundaries, similar Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft have not got a clue and just keep ramming boxes full of PC hardware, blasting you with advertising campaigns and then gleefully watching the money rolling in.
The souls has literally drained from video games over the last 10 years and is approaching the same standard of pop music. 90's saw bands like Metallica and smashing pumkins in the top ten, artists. Now you see the same ten manufactured crap over and over.
PSVR, PS4 Slim, PS4 Pro... it seems Sony suddenly has no clue of what consumers want. Will the PS4 lifespan end with a wet whimper instead of a glorious future?
Gotta hand it to Microsoft. I work in retail and we can't keep X1 Slims on the shelves.
I thought the lack of 4k player might be a reason why people will get the xbox one S but the actual 4k player in the machine is poor quality according to reviews. So maybe sony was right rather than putting something sub standard into the pro its best to leave it out. The fight back is good. Consoles need each other so they keep pushing themselves to do better things.
@deathofpsygnosis I know. But I only have so much time, and there's only a few games I want to play on PS4, so can't justify paying more than that. It'll come down eventually.
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