Consoles
Xbox One vs PS4 – Microsoft is closing the gap, but Sony still reigns supreme
Sony’s PS4 has been merciless beating its arch-rival Xbox One almost every month for more than a year now much to no one’s surprise. However, it’s worth noting that against all odds Microsoft was able to catch a break every now and again, with the month of April being one of these rare occasions. Word has it that the Xbox One vs PS4 confrontation of last month ended with the former’s proud victory and the latter’s shameful defeat, although by what margin we do not know. Needless to say, neither Microsoft nor Sony were keen on discussing actual figures with the common folk, however, the companies did reveal the numbers to The NPD Group, which in turn made a few interesting statements in regards to the matter.
As I’m sure you’ve probably gathered by now one of these statements was related to Microsoft’s victory over Sony, which was provided by Xbox marketer Mike Nichols. “As the best-selling console in the U.S. in April, fans set record April sales and engagement for Xbox One last month,” he said. “Xbox One console sales in the U.S. increased 63 percent in April 2015 compared to April 2014 and Xbox Live comparisons showed the number of active global users (Xbox One and Xbox 360) grew 24 percent.” Sony didn’t take this minor setback lying down mind you and wished to remind everyone that the PS4 still reigns supreme at the end of the day. “PlayStation continues to lead software sales for April 2015 and PS4 remains the cumulative sales leader in the U.S,” according to the company.
Since no actual figures have been shared we’ll have to look elsewhere if we want to find out how many Xbox One and PS4 units have been sold by now. According to VGChartz, we’re looking at a difference of more than 9 million consoles in favor of the PS4. Specifically, as of March 28th the PS4 was leading in the console wars with 21.4 million units sold versus the Xbox One’s 12.1 million. Unfortunately, these statistics do not account for the month of April so all we can do is speculate for now. What seems certain though is that the Xbox One was able to close the gap somewhat thanks to last month’s victory, although I think it’s safe to assume that the PS4 is still at least 8 million ahead of its nemesis. Hardware aside, below you can find the top 10 most popular games of April in terms of sales.
- 1.Mortal Kombat X (PS4, Xbox One)
- 2.Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, PC, 360, PS3)
- 3.Battlefield: Hardline (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- 4.MLB 15: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- 5.Minecraft (360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4)
- 6.NBA 2K15 (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- 7.Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- 8.Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- 9.Super Smash Bros. (3DS, Wii U)
- 10.Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4, Xbox One)
PS4 sales in the UK climbed by a shocking 633 percent year-over-year in 2023, so apparently the old system isn’t dead yet. The previous year’s very limited supply of the system is likely a major factor in this figure, since the console’s lifespan was drastically reduced because of chip shortages caused by the pandemic. Still, it’s proof that PlayStation’s original platform has unmet demand.
With the very low prices of PS4 software (both in-store and online at the PS Store), this strategy makes a lot of sense. Plus, it’s future-proof, so there’s no harm in stocking up on PS4s while new-gen pricing is still high, since if you decide to switch to a PS5 in the future, you can transfer all of your purchases across. Not to mention that the majority of new releases still come out on the PS4, with several offering free PS5 upgrades.
While the percentage rise may seem huge, real PS4 sales will probably be much lower. It’s a sign that the gadget, which is now a decade old, isn’t completely dead yet, and we expect it to keep receiving maintenance for a while longer. Of course, this is great news for Sony, because the company would rather have PS4 players playing on its last-gen gadget than none at all, even if it would love to have them upgrade to PS5.
A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?
Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:
- We updated system software security
- We improved system software stability and performance
- Some screens now have better messages and usability
That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.
Belgian developer Larian Studios’ work on Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Series S version will improve performance on all platforms, including PS5. The game’s fifth major patch, expected to launch this week, will include upgrades and new features. More details will be revealed later today.
Director of Publishing Michael Douse says PS5 performance improvements may be the “least exciting thing” in the title’s next update, so it sounds like a big one. Larian Studios employees are proud of “finally” implementing tweaks, fixes, and changes, Douse says. Later today, we’ll bring you all the Baldur’s Gate 3 update details.
Those who reached the RPG’s third act have reported technical issues during the narrative’s conclusion, especially in co-op, so today’s update should fix them. New features like a permadeath mode are expected, along with Xbox Series S optimization fixes. What else should be added to the game?
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