The Nintendo Switch has outsold both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in November according to an NPD report. In total, consumers in the United States spent $7 billion on products related to gaming in the month, which is a new record for November. Spending on hardware was up 35% from last year, due in large part to the debut of both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. That launch also created a 58% rise in hardware sales, totaling out to a record $1.4 billion.
The top console in terms of generating revenue this past November is the PlayStation 5, which is no surprise considering that it had the biggest console launch in United States history. Sony strove to beat their own record, which was set by the PlayStation 4, and they did just that. With games like Demon's Souls and the surprise hit Astro's Playroom launching alongside the machine, and the promise of sequels to God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn on the horizon, gamers flocked to secure the new hardware.
None of that hype could stop the continued dominance of the Nintendo Switch, as revealed by GameIndustry.biz's report on the NPD findings. Nintendo's portable wonder sold 1.35 million consoles, the most in November despite the launches by Microsoft and Sony. The Switch has been the best-selling platform for the past two years, now beating two generations of PlayStation and Xbox machines. While this is almost assuredly due to supply constraints limiting the potential of both Xbox and especially PlayStation, there's no denying that Nintendo's machine is an ongoing sales powerhouse that can't be denied.
The NPD report reveals that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War instantly became the top-selling game of 2020 upon its debut, topping the November charts in the process. It's the 13th consecutive release in the franchise that has managed to top its launch month, showing that there's still a lot left in the tank for Activision's shooting franchise.
There are several other factors that help to explain these unique findings. No one needs a briefing that 2020 is a strange year, and the global COVID-19 pandemic certainly threw the normal spending habits of many consumers out the window. It also forced both consoles into a strange marketing strategy and constrained the supply chain that would normally be working overload. Because both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launched globally in a roughly one week period, numbers for both in the US specifically were severely under what they could have been under more normal circumstances. All consoles were produced were immediately sold, and many buyers are still waiting for a chance to grab them.
The Nintendo Switch continues to outpace its overpowered competition by offering a gaming solution that's likely more palatable to a wider audience. The platform doesn't get a lot of the most expansive AAA releases and all of the ongoing multiplayer hits, but it ticks the boxes that a mass audience is looking for. Its digital shop is full of retro classics and games that play just like them, as well as games that mimic what many players are now used to on their phones. Add all that to the power of taking a full digital library on the go and it's no wonder that Nintendo is the king of the mountain despite the immense hype and power of the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Source: GameIndustry.biz
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