We’re getting closer, moon up, moon down halfway through this console generation. Two specifically desktop models, the PlayStation 5 and two Xbox Series models, debuted three years and one month ago.
Along with them is the one who always drives on their own in every aspect, Nintendo, who released the Switch three years earlier… and whose sales remain unmatched by any other console.
The fine print of battle
Sales of consoles are going quite asymmetric. Xbox has been challenged to recover from the low sales of the Xbox One, a far cry from the sales of the PlayStation 4, and get back on track. if not higher then at least close to what Sony achieved with the 360.
Not getting along at all. Joint sale of Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5, which in its fifth version almost doubles the sales of those Xboxes.
At least there’s a clear improvement over the One generation, perhaps thanks to Microsoft’s focus on cloud gaming, the growing importance of Game Pass, or the original commercial strategy (two models, including one particularly cheap and small, to be the new generation) much more attractive , than the previous one when the One came with Kinect, anyway… until they decided to make it optional and then ditched the accessory entirely.
It must not be forgotten that both collided, but first and foremost the PlayStation 5 long deficit which caused them to hit stores non-stop, fueling speculation in the second-hand market, where we saw consoles being offered (and bought) for almost double their MSRP.
In Europe in particular, Sony’s victory over Microsoft in sales of consoles of this generation was even more pronounced. Japan, the home of Sony, hardly bought any Xbox directly. And the United States, the home of Microsoft, showed more support for “its” manufacturer, but this only narrowed the gap. Even in its home country, Xbox has not achieved dominance. At least for now.
Sony also knew how to use its loyal user base to its advantage, launching exclusives like Demon’s Souls or Spider-Man: Miles Morales; or a much more prominent marketing strategy than Microsoft’s.
On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch, which has several nuances (it’s a different console concept, it came to market more than three years earlier, it’s not measured in the same way as Xbox and PlayStation), but no one cancels its value.
Nintendo was also looking recover from a bad generationthe infamous WiiU, and it’s achieved it in a big way: it’s already the third best-selling console in history behind only the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2, and it still has time to sell more units and continue to climb the rankings.
Its offering, so different from the rest, improving on the best that the WiiU had to offer and allowing you to play both on TV and on the go, convinced from the first minute. Moreover, its family appeal has allowed it to reach homes where consoles are not a common sight, not to mention the exclusivity of Nintendo franchises and the appearance of well-known titles such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” or ” Super Mario”. Odyssey”, as well as “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”, which solved the problem of incarceration of many people.
For those curious, here’s how this generation’s consoles rank as the best-selling consoles in history, with room for more on the horizon.
In this ranking, only Nintendo and Sony share the first six positions, the original Xbox – 360 – is in ninth place, the WiiU remains in twenty-fifth position and appears before the Atari 2600 from 1977… just above the latter. two generations from the Xbox.
Featured Image | Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Xataka.
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