Every month, the NPD group releases console and games sales for the US and for the month of May, Sony"s PS4 topped Microsoft"s Xbox One. While Microsoft may have come in second place for the month, they are still pleased with the results as said sales were up 81% over May 2014.
Microsoft and Sony are going head-to-head in the battle for gamer"s dollars, but with only two consoles currently targeting hardcore gamers, even if one consoles "wins" the overall sales race, both consoles are still selling well. We know this based on sales data provided by the companies fiscal reports, which means the consumer is ultimately the one who comes out ahead with having two good choices for gaming and plenty of support from the respective parent company.
Microsoft"s full comment, given to Venture Beat, is below:
“Xbox One and Xbox Live continue to see strong growth in sales and engagement. Xbox One sales in the U.S. were up 81 percent over May 2014 and active global Xbox Live members, Xbox One and Xbox 360, were up 20 percent,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “We are grateful to our fans for choosing Xbox One and for making Xbox Live the fun and vibrant community that is. We can’t wait to share more on the greatest games lineup in Xbox history at E3 next week.”
But even with the strong sales, NPD says Sony"s PS4 was the top selling console for the month.
Next week, both Microsoft and Sony will hold press conferences where each will attempt to woo gamers to their platform and up-sell those who have already bought in. With first and third party exclusives, timed release content, and more, both companies are spending big to make their platforms look more attractive than the competition.