Xbox One S Fuels Microsoft’s Sales Surge Over PlayStation 4 For Third Consecutive Month

When it comes to worldwide console sales, the PlayStation 4 holds a commanding lead over the Xbox One. Both consoles were released around the same time in late 2013, but the PlayStation 4 quickly lurched ahead with a sales lead and now has outsold the Xbox One roughly 2:1 since launch.

However, perhaps Microsoft is a late bloomer as the Xbox One has been showing some muscle in the past few months versus the PlayStation 4. While we’ve seen the Xbox One beat the PlayStation 4 in a single month on a number of occasions, the former was able to topple the latter in July and in August. And according to the latest numbers from tracking firm The NDP Group, the Xbox One bested the PlayStation 4 for a third consecutive month in September.

Leading up to the release of the slimmer Xbox One S, Microsoft slashed prices on the old “fat” Xbox One to clear out inventory. That surely was enough to spark a sales rush for Microsoft. On August 2^nd, Microsoft launched the 2TB Xbox One S, while the 500GB and 1TB versions hit retail shelves on August 23^rd.

In addition to taking up less space in your entertainment center, the Xbox One S is slightly faster, includes a revised wireless controller, supports 4K output and incorporates a UHD Blu-ray player (something that Microsoft gleefully points out that the PlayStation 4 Slim doesn’t support).

Microsoft attributed its success to Xbox One S hardware and a strong games lineup in a statement to Venture Beat:

This success was driven by our fans and their support for Xbox One S, which is the only console available this holiday with built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming and HDR for gaming and video… 

With the blockbuster launch of Gears of War 4 for Xbox One and Windows 10 this week and the upcoming release of Clubs and Looking for Group on Xbox Live alongside the launches of Dead Rising 4, Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Dishonored 2, Final Fantasy XV, Titanfall 2, and Watch Dogs 2 in the coming months, Xbox is the best place to game this holiday.

Microsoft’s winning streak might be short-lived, however. PlayStation 4 Slim sales just started on September 15^th, and it wouldn’t be too surprising if some gamers are holding out for the November release of the PlayStation 4 Pro.