If Microsoft’s 2014 New Year’s Resolution was to have a month where they outsold Sony in the console market, they finally attained that goal in November. Better late than never, we suppose.
The Xbox One has not seen a month of being the best-selling console yet this year. Since January, when the PS4 “nearly doubled” the sales of the Xbox One, Microsoft’s console has been trailing behind Sony’s most recent installment in the PlayStation line pretty consistently. But this month, the Xbox’s fortunes have finally turned, with Microsoft announcing that NPD data shows the console outselling the PS4 in the US, as well as the UK.
Though the exact numbers haven’t been announced as of yet, sources are reporting that 1.2 million units were moved in November. This is likely due in large part to Black Friday sales, at least in the United States. Though the Xbox One dropping in price to $350 with a bundled game certainly did not hurt.
in response, Sony recently announced that their “holiday bundle,” priced at the regular $400, will let consumers pick one free game along with their console (Destiny, Far Cry 4, LittleBigPlanet 3, and NBA 2K15). Bundling consoles with games is hardly a new concept, but it is interesting to see Sony offering a selection to choose from. But will it be enough to ensure the Xbox One is knocked back to second place next month?
While a good chunk of the US sales in November can be attributed to the ridiculous discounts the Xbox One underwent for Black Friday, seeing deals as good as the standard $350 mark, along with a free game, and a $50 gift card. And with a deal that great, of course the Xbox One outsold the PS4. It wasn’t particularly surprising.
While it may be easy to attribute this solely to the temporary price drop the Xbox One is seeing, something obviously has Sony ruffled, seeing as they were quick to announce their holiday bundle. Will sales return to normal following the holiday season, once the Xbox One returns to its regular price of $400 ($500 if you want a Kinect, though that’s unlikely), with the PS4 again leading? Or will Microsoft decide to keep prices the way they are, with sales finally improving?
Considering previous marketing strategies clearly haven’t been as effective, it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility that a $350 Xbox One might be the new norm. If that’s the case, Sony will have to step up, or quite possibly step down.
