The PlayStation 4 console sold more units in March this year than the rival Xbox One from Microsoft.
Sony continues to battle it out with Microsoft in the gaming console market. According to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, the Sony PlayStation 4 sold more units than the Microsoft Xbox One in March.
Sony takes commanding lead over Microsoft in console market
The PlayStation 4 has now outsold all other games consoles for 13 of the last 15 months. Although the Xbox One sold more in April and October last year, the PlayStation 4 has some serious momentum.
The Xbox One was boosted in October by the release of a key title, Halo 5: Guardians. In April the Microsoft console drove sales with the release of the exclusive game Quantum Break. It is reportedly the best-selling new game for the company.
In contrast the Nintendo Wii U looks set to be discontinued due to a strategic shift at the company. Nintendo is apparently going to focus on mobile gaming and its new hardware, codenamed NX, in order to try and carve out revenues in the $99.3 billion gaming market.
Consoles represent around a third of that $99.3 billion total. Sony is in a good position to make the most of the market due to both hardware and software sales.
PlayStation 4 about to get an upgrade
“Thank you to our fans and partners for making PlayStation 4 the top-selling console and software sales leader for the month of March, as well as the number-one console for fans of The Division, according to NPD. We are truly humbled by the success and look forward to delivering more amazing gaming experiences throughout 2016, including the launch of PlayStation VR this October,” wrote Sony.
However these console sales may not continue. In March rumors broke of a supposed PlayStation 4K that would boast better processing and video-output capabilities. Microsoft has also made oblique mentions of similar improvements.
It is not yet known whether either company will make major upgrades to its consoles. However new models that will sell for around $400 would make a lot of sense, but the rumors could discourage people from buying the existing consoles.
Technological advances include 4K gaming?
Over the course of their lifetime sales of the consoles are approximately two to one. The Xbox One sold 20 million units as of December 2015 according to video games research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR). The Sony PlayStation 4 had sold 36 million units as of January this year.
The improved PlayStation 4 looks set to offer an upgraded user experience thanks to better APU technology. The latest rumors claim that the new model will improve processing speed by 65% while using 70% less power.
As a result we could see a processor that can handle 4K resolution at similar frame rates to the existing PlayStation 4. However if this is to be the case it will require some serious technical work from Sony, not least to ensure that there is enough memory that 4K gaming is as smooth as the current version.
Improvements would need to be made to the RAM to make sure that the more powerful GPU unit was properly served. Some people have expressed their doubts over the introduction of a new console at a time when Sony is enjoying such a commanding lead over its main rival Microsoft, but it seems that the company wants to push forward.
