Xbox One's November sales outpace PS4 for the first time
It seems Chrstimas came a month early for Microsoft. We saw it last week and now another independent research confirms it. Microsoft's Xbox One has indeed, for the first time, outsold the PlayStation 4 in the US, though only considering the month of November. The recent holiday shopping spree was a big break for Microsoft's console, beleaguered by its rivalry with Sony's counterpart. That victory was not without its price, however, as the repeated price cuts implemented over the past months are believed to have been Microsoft's ace.
The rivalry between the top two gaming consoles is no secret and is nothing new. It's often a case of he said, she said when it comes to who is the top dog in the market, and of course neither company will outrightly concede defeat to the other. However, numerous reports have painted a picture of the PlayStation 4 reigning in the console market since it's launch last year.
Naturally, Microsoft couldn't take that sitting down. Since it can do little to actually change the Xbox to make it completely better (aside from introducing the new TV addon in selected markets), the only thing left for them to do was to slash down the price. Price cut after price cut, and the Xbox One eventually landed with a $350 tag. And that was just before the holidays. Come Black Friday, the console was at its lowest at $329. Of course it helps that the console is bundled with at least one free game, two when generous.
Apparently, that strategy was quite effective, as now the same news outlets are reporting a surge in sales for the Xbox One, at least as far as last month was concerned. With another holiday season fast approaching, the gloves will be on again as the two dish it out in the market before the year ends. Will Microsoft be able to maintain that low price all throughout and at what cost to the company's profits? Will Sony, who is relatively slower at making such price cuts, eventually match those reduced numbers this time around? Stay tuned.
SOURCE: Forbes