Globally, Sony’s PlayStation 4 dominated the early days of this generation’s video game console war. Sony announced earlier this month that it sold a jaw-dropping 4.2 million PS4 consoles in 2013 following the box’s launch in mid-November. Xbox One sales in 2013 totaled only 3 million units through the end of last year. The U.S., however, is an entirely different story. After the Xbox 360’s 32-month winning streak came to an end in September last year, it popped back into the N0. 1 spot in October before the PlayStation 4 swooped in and took the crown in November. But December was all Xbox.
Market research firm NPD Group on Thursday night reported that Xbox One sales last month totaled 908,000 units in the U.S., according to Xbox Wire. That figure is good enough for top billing in America — and combined, the Xbox One and Xbox 360 represented 46% of all console sales. The firm said Xbox 360 sales totaled an estimated 643,000 units.
“We’re grateful for the excitement and support of our fans – many purchasing their next Xbox console and many joining the Xbox family for the first time,” corporate VP of marketing, strategy and business Yusuf Mehdi said. “Our journey is just starting, with more innovation, games and entertainment coming in 2014 and far beyond.”
Sony Entertainment’s PR boss Dan Race, meanwhile, issued a statement reminding the world that his company’s PlayStation 4 is still the cumulative global sales winner right now.
“According to the latest NPD report, PlayStation 4 remains the cumulative leader for next-gen console sales in the U.S. since its launch on November 15,” Race said. “We sold every PS4 available at retail in the U.S. and were out of stock in December due to overwhelming consumer demand. With more than 4.2 million PS4 systems sold worldwide, it’s clear that the PS4′s gaming and entertainment features are resonating with large audiences and we’re doing our best to provide additional inventory in all of the 53 countries where it’s available.”
