PS4 and Xbox One combined sales 40% higher over last gen

We knew that the current generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft have been doing pretty well in terms of sales but it seems that things are going significantly better than even last generation. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 went on for eight and seven years respectively before being replaced by the Xbox One and PS4, which have collectively sold 40 per cent more units.

These figures come from analyst firm, NPD Group, reporting on retail sales for the US market, so it doesn't really tell the whole story, though it is a good starting point. According to their analyst, Liam Callahan, “after 23 months on the market, combined PS4 and Xbox One sales are 40 percent higher than the combined 23 month totals for PS3 and 360.”

In terms of separate sales, Sony still has the crown with the PS4, though the console is about to face a tough holiday period with very few enticing exclusive game launches. On the other hand, Microsoft has a very strong line up for the next few months with Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, a Fallout 4 bundle deal and Gears of War on the market.

Microsoft had a very successful holiday season last year, so it will be interesting to see how the numbers stack up this time around. That said, the PS4's recent price cut could make it very tempting.

KitGuru Says: It is important to remember that these figures are based on US retail sales, so it doesn't really paint the full picture. However, it's a decent enough starting point. Have any of you picked up one of the new consoles yet? Are you sticking with PC this generation? I like to keep my options open so I tend to keep a console around for exclusives, though if exclusives weren't a thing, I probably wouldn't bother. 

Become a Patron!