PS4 tops Xbox One in May, leads U.S. hardware sales for fifth consecutive month

NPD Group has released its sales data for May 2014, and for the fifth consecutive month Sony's PlayStation 4 led all hardware in sales in the United States.

Specific numbers weren't shared, but it sounds as if it was a good month for all console manufacturers. New video game hardware sales totaled $187 million for the month, a 95 percent increase over the $96 million in sales from May 2013. While much of the growth in hardware sales during May can be attributed to the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, other consoles surprisingly contributed as well. NPD Group's Liam Callahan made note of "year-over-year growth for the Wii U and PS Vita."

“Two examples of hardware bundles that helped to drive hardware sales in May 2014 include Mario Kart 8 bundle for the Wii U, and the Borderlands 2 bundle for the PS Vita," he said.

Nintendo, commenting on the latest NPD figures, attributed the Wii U's bump to strong sales of Mario Kart 8, which sold 1.2 million units worldwide in its first weekend alone. The company also noted that the 3DS was the second-best-selling system in May 2014. Microsoft and Sony have yet to formally discuss the latest figures, though Sony's Senior VP of PlayStation Brand Marketing, Guy Longworth, called PlayStation "the best place to play for innovative IP."