Xbox Closes Gap But Playstation Still More Popular – 57.54% of Market Share

2021 marks the 20th year since the console war began between Sony and Microsoft and the competition does not look like slowing any time soon. Microsoft’s Xbox has done well to challenge Sony’s PlayStation’s established claim to the console thrown. However, according to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, while Xbox has closed the gap to the Playstation, Sony’s console still holds a 57.54% share of the market.

PlayStation Vs Xbox a Rivalry for the Ages

The rivalry between Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox started in 2001 when Microsoft released the first version of their Xbox. Sony’s PlayStation as we know it today was first officially released in December of 1994, in Japan. It went on to become the leading games console, unseating pioneers Nintendo and eventually dominating the gaming console market.

The Xbox was the first gaming console to really challenge the PlayStation’s claim to the console throne. Since the release of the first Xbox, to many of the subsequent generations of gaming consoles that both franchises have released since then, the PlayStation and Xbox have been locked in a ferocious battle that does not look like ending anytime soon.

PlayStation Operating System Holds Majority of Market Share, but Xbox Closing Gap

As of 2020, both Xbox and Playstation have released several generations of consoles and one way to measure their performance is a look at the market share of each operating system. This means that the data is regardless of which generation the console is from, as long as it identifies with one of the operating systems.

The data indicates that as of 2020, Sony’s PlayStation operating system holds 57.54% of the market share with the Xbox holding a 42.15% share of the market. Nintendo, who are considered pioneers in the industry now only holds .31% of the market share. While Nike might still enjoy a majority of the market, that gap is now the lowest it has ever been between the two gaming giants. Even more impressive considering in 2012, PlayStation had over 90% share of the console market.

PlayStation 4 Outperforms Xbox One in Lifetime Global Sales

The newest generation of consoles from both companies recently came out in the autumn of 2020, with the release of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. A look back at the numbers from their most recent battle between the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One shows that PlayStation is still the preferred console out-selling its competitor by over 60M units.

As of November 2020, the PlayStation 4 had lifetime unit sales of 114.19M while the Xbox One had a lifetime sales of 48.69M units globally. The Xbox is definitely a legitimate competitor to the PlayStation, but for now, the console throne still belongs to Sony’s PlayStation.

February 25, 2021