The PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console hardware platform in May in the United States, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. But the story is still that console hardware and software sales are thriving across all of the big three. Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft, and Nintendo all broke their own records for this generation when it comes to unit sales.
“Sony’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft’s Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch all achieved all-time unit sales highs for a May month,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said. “Previous highs were May 2016 for PlayStation 4, May 2015 for Xbox One, and May 2017 for Switch.”
Sony continues to pull ahead, however, because of its breadth of options with the low price PS4 Slim that comes in a variety of makes and models, the powerful PS4 Pro, and regular exclusive game releases like God of War and Detroit: Become Human. The PlayStation is the best-selling hardware platform of 2018 year-to-date.
But on a SKU basis, which means a single console package or bundle, the Nintendo Switch 32 GB Neon system was still the best-seller in both unit and dollar sales.
The continued strength of console sales in the U.S. strains the notion that the next-generation consoles are imminent. Microsoft told fans that the Xbox hardware team is working on a new box at the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in Los Angeles last week, and fans are operating under the assumption that games like Cyberpunk 2077, The Elder Scrolls VI, and Starfield will require new consoles to truly shine. But as long as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are continuing to set records, Sony and Microsoft are both unlikely to rush into anything new before they have to.
