AS Microsoft confirms one million XBox One sales, can PS4 match it?Xbox One is now sold out at most retailers globally, Microsoft confirmed yesterday, after the third version of the console was launched on Friday, with one million sold in less than 24 hours.
Stores in Oz opened at midnight Thursday to welcome the new Xbox, which was the “biggest launch in Australian gaming history”, said Shane Stockwell, EB Games, Merchandising Director.
PS4 is due out this Friday, with Dick Smith holding a midnight launch at its Sydney Central store, along with EB Games and selected JB Hi-Fi stores. Sony has already sold over one million consoles in the US, where it went on sale earlier this month, matching Xbox One sales.
So, the question is will it match Xbox One?
“The anticipation for both Playstation 4 and XBox One is like nothing we have ever experienced,” says Debra McGrath, EB Games Brand & Events Manager.
However, when asked who will win the “day one race” – Xbox One or Playstation 4, she said:
“There are still a lot of numbers to be counted and it is just too close to call at this early stage. However we are almost completely certain that both consoles will be sold out across Australia and New Zealand before Christmas.”
Sony are trumping the PS4 as an entertainment device linked to the Sony platform, while Xbox One’s new Kinect senor motion controls is luring gamers, but it also has strong multimedia capabilities. PS4 is A$50 cheaper than XBox.
JB Hi-Fi Marketing Manager Scott Browning predicts PS4 will match the XBOX success:
“We have already sold out of our Day 1 shipment and as well as our pre-Christmas second shipment so in that sense PS4 will meet our expectations and match the XBOX success,” he told told CN.
Browning predicts both consoles will be sold out pre-Christmas based on current demand.
However, analysts iHS believes the ball is firmly in the PS4’s court.
The US-based analysts predicts that 2.4 million PS4’s will sell by the end of the year, while Xbox One will sell less -at 2.2 million.
However, others say Microsoft has got it nailed with Xbox One.
