Doesn’t it feel like console sales would be declining with the rise of the PC gaming install base? Not necessarily. According to the latest NPD numbers, this generation’s consoles are already selling 60 percent better than the prior generation.
In the latest NPD numbers released for the month of January, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hardware sales fell dramatically by 23 percent (from $239.6 million to $185.5 million) while physical sales of software and accessories had a nine percent increase. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the big drop in hardware.
Of course, that drop-off is somewhat expected after holiday sales and there aren’t as many early adopters still going after the new consoles as they were a year ago.
Despite decline, console sales on the rise overall
The most intriguing news wasn’t in the charts, but instead from Liam Callahan. He noted that the install base is vastly bigger in the first 15 months for Xbox One and PS4 when compared to Xbox 360 and PS3.
“The combined hardware install base of PS4 and Xbox One is close to 60 percent higher than the cumulative hardware totals for Xbox 360 and PS3 at the same point in their lifecycles (after 15 months).”
Lower console prices are most likely the reason for a bigger install base. Remember, the PS3 was $500 or $600 at launch while the 360 was $300 or $400. This time around, both consoles were in the 360 price range. There’s also been many bundles that have been on sale for around $300 (and even less) for both the Xbox One and PS4.
Other notes in the NPD numbers from January was Dying Light had the top sales of all software, beating out Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The game also set a record for highest number of sales for a new IP in the survival horror genre in one month.
Consoles are already off to fast start in this generation. Along with the continuing boom of PC gaming, it’s certainly one of the most thriving times to be in the game industry.
Image source: Daily Tech
