More people bought Nintendo Switch consoles than Xbox One or PlayStation 4 systems in January in the U.S., but consumers spent more money on Sony’s system, according to industry-intelligence firm The NPD Group. Don’t worry about the Xbox One, though — it had its best January ever.
NPD confirmed that PS4, Switch, and Xbox One all had strong sales. In terms of revenues, the difference between the top-selling gaming platform and the No.3 platform in January was just 3 percent. This comes as each company is selling products that are exciting its customers. The PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation VR is helping that platform continue to sell. Xbox One X really is the most powerful console ever. And the Nintendo Switch is selling like wild to a group of hardcore gamers who want to untether from their televisions.
That parity has broken up a winning streak for the PlayStation 4 since 2013 when it comes to hardware in the United States. The Xbox One won a handful of months between 2013 and 2016, but Sony’s system was dominant until the introduction of the Switch. Since March 2017, however, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have all taken turns selling the most units or the most in terms of dollars.
For example, Switch was the top-selling console in December, but Xbox One outsold the PS4. That has all flipped this month with PS4 at No. 1 and Switch taking the top spot in terms of consoles sold. This is great for developers who want to make console games as it shows they can find an enthusiastic audience no matter what.
