Sony topped Microsoft again for U.S. console sales as its PS4 outsold the Xbox One in June, according to new data from NPD. Sony also beat Microsoft for software sales.
“PS4 continues to lead console sales in the U.S. and globally and we would like to thank gamers worldwide for their continued dedication to the PlayStation platform,” Sony Computer Entertainment America said in a statement.
Sony noted “overwhelming popularity” for its Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 bundle, which includes the new Batman game and retails for $399 (same cost as a PS4 alone).
Sony topped Microsoft for U.S. console sales in June, too, but the companies have largely gone back-and-forth for the past several months. Sony outsold Microsoft for the first ten months of 2014; Microsoft finished No. 1 for the following November and December; and Sony took the lead again in January, February, and March of this year.
Microsoft said today that Xbox One sales were up 51 percent from June 2014, while Xbox Live users grew 22 percent. The Redmond company also said that gamers have logged more than 30 million minutes playing Xbox 360 games on Xbox One, one month after it made the unexpected debut of Xbox One backward compatibility in preview at E3.
Microsoft has priced the Kinect-less Xbox One at $349 since Jan. 16; the PS4 has sold at $399 since launch in November 2013.
NPD noted that eighth-generation consoles saw a 15 percent sales growth in the U.S. from June 2014. Hardware sales overall grew by eight percent this June, while hardware bundles accounted for 82 percent of hardware sales.
