It looks like Xbox One is finding its groove again in the United States, as Microsoft's next-gen system reclaimed the top spot in U.S. sales. Although Sony's PlayStation 4 is stillt he best-selling console during the two-month launch window; Microsoft's Xbox One led console sales in December with 908,000 units sold. Together, the two consoles helped increase December hardware sales increase 50 percent compared to December 2012.
The United States has generally been the best market for Xbox, but with the new systems it was widely expected that the PS4 would overtake it. The PS4 took an early lead in November, but since then sales have been hindered by supply. Commenting on the latest report, Dan Race, senior director of corporate communications for Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said, “PlayStation 4 remains the cumulative leader for next gen console sales in the U.S. since the launch on November 15. 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," he added.
For Microsoft, it wasn't just the Xbox One that saw success. Xbox 360 continued to see "strong momentum" with 643,000 units sold in December. As a result, it now leads last generation hardware sales. Together, the Xbox One and Xbox 360 held 46 percent of the hardware market share in the U.S. and showed a 10 percent year over year growth from December 2012.
“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,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing, strategy and business for Xbox. “Our journey is just starting, with more innovation, games and entertainment coming in 2014 and far beyond.”
Overall, total video game sales for the United States in December were up slightly by 2 percent year-over-year, from $3.21 billion in 2012 to $3.28 billion in 2013. Hardware sales in Dececember 2013 were repotedly $1.37 billion, up 28 percent from the $1.07 billion in December 2012.
