Things are looking good for Microsoft…
Xbox outsold PlayStation this August, making it the second month in a row where Microsoft came out on top. This is likely due to the launch of their revised console, the Xbox One S, which features many little tweaks; such as its revamped design and slight boost in performance, as well as HDR and 4k video and support. It’s also 40% smaller than the original console and so far only comes in white.
“Thanks to our fans and their excitement for new Xbox One games and the recently launched Xbox One S — which is the only console available this holiday with built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming, and HDR for video and gaming — Xbox One was the best-selling console in the U.S. in August, according to NPD Group. In addition, we continue to see strong engagement on Xbox Live — the fastest, most reliable gaming network — with total global gaming hours on Xbox One consoles increasing 42 percent year-over-year. We’ve also received an incredible response to Xbox Design Lab, which saw millions of visits to the site and hundreds of thousands of designs created by fans. We’re excited to launch Clubs and Looking for Group on Xbox Live broadly this holiday alongside some of our biggest titles for the year, including ReCore, Forza Horizon 3, Gears of War 4 and Dead Rising 4.”
It looks like we’re getting a promising line up this holiday season. Gears of War 4 is guaranteed to sell well, especially after its strong positive reception during the open multiplayer beta. Forza Horizon 3 should also prove popular, since most racing fans are willing to shell out the cash to experience this new addition to the franchise. As well as these major sequels, many people were at least intrigued by ReCore’s trailers, and it’s always exciting to see a brand new ip. Sunset Overdrive was in many peoples’ opinion a breath of fresh air – it would be great to see a similar success with ReCore. As for Dead Rising 4, I’m sure gamers will be happy to get back into the zombie slaying business, with even more ridiculous and hilarious contraptions than before.
Everything’s fallen very well into place for Microsoft, but will their recent successes continue, or will Sony’s ‘new’ console, the PS4 Pro, reclaim their status as the more popular gaming platform? Only time will tell.
-Written by Elliot Norman-
