PlayStation 5 Outsold Xbox Series X By A Lot In 2021
If you want an update about what's going on in the next-gen console wars, the latest numbers claim Sony's PlayStation 5 has massively outsold Microsoft's Xbox Series X. With the PS5 following in the footsteps of the PS4 and the Xbox Series X as a suitable successor to the Xbox One, the two goliaths released their offerings within a few weeks of each other and took the market by storm. Even six months later, some of us are still struggling to get our hands on either system.
Gamers always knew the next-gen consoles were going to lock horns, but with the world thrown into the grips of a global pandemic, both sides have struggled to keep up with demand due to a lack of parts. There are reports that a "new" PS5 could help alleviate the pressure on parts, but in the meantime, the original model is selling like nobody's business. The Xbox Series X is still doing well, but it remains to be seen if it can make up the ground.
Has the PlayStation 5 outsold the Xbox Series X?
According to data from Ampere Analytics, Sony has shifted 2.83 million consoles in the first quarter of 2021. Elsewhere, Microsoft is trailing behind with the Xbox Series X/S with an approximate 1.31 million consoles. If the numbers are right, it means Sony has sold over twice as many units as its biggest rival. The idea that the PS5 has sold so well in the first quarter is no real surprise. Earlier this month, Sony said it was nearing 8 million PS5s sold, while other reports claim it's the fastest-selling console in the company's impressive history. Whichever way you look at it, the PS5 is even giving the juggernaut PS2 a run for its money.
Of course, both of these are dwarfed by the runaway success of Nintendo with the Switch. Ampere reports that the Switch has sold an eye-watering 5.86 million in the first quarter. That in itself is a monster task that means Nintendo is selling twice as many as Sony and four times more than Microsoft. As the next-gen consoles went head-to-head last year, Nintendo stayed on top of stocking issues and silently slipped past to become the best-selling games console of 2020
How has the PlayStation 5 outsold the Xbox Series X?
Taking Nintendo out of the equation, let's track the success of the PS5. Launching just behind the Xbox Series X/S in November last year, the PS5 raced out of the gate with must-have exclusives like Demon's Souls and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Added to this, it also embraced multi-platform releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, while promising more exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok.
Over at Microsoft HQ, the Xbox Series X boasts more storage than the PS5 and has also made the most of multi-platform games, however, who could forget that disastrous Xbox Games Showcase from last year? Halo Infinite was supposed to launch alongside the Xbox Series X/S as a flagship title, but after going back for some much-needed development, we STILL don't have a concrete release date for later this year. It's clear the PS5 is a popular piece of kit right now - which was recently showcased by the fact over half of Resident Evil Village's copies were sold to PS5.
Neither the PlayStation 5 nor Xbox Series X are going anywhere any time soon, and as we settle into the next generation of console, expect this dynamic duo to continue duking it out as Nintendo sits pretty on the top of its throne.
Images via Microsoft | Sony