PS4 Sales

Considering that Microsoft announced its Xbox One price drop at the start of May, there was never going to be much chance of the maligned machine overcoming the PlayStation 4 in the latest NPD report – and as expected, Sony has revealed that it accrued the most next-gen hardware sales for a fifth consecutive time in the United States last month.

Of course, a slew of big new releases helped to keep the Japanese giant’s platform at the top, while also providing some positive numbers for the industry as a whole. Spend on physical hardware and software across all platforms increased by 52 per cent year-over-year, raking in a rock solid $586 million. Watch Dogs was a big contributor to that, as the hack happy escapade topped the charts.

In fact, software sales were up 20 per cent over April, with Ubisoft's abovementioned sandbox debut becoming the French firm’s fastest ever seller over a 24 hour period. The success wasn’t limited to supercharged smartphones, however, as MLB 14 The Show hit back hard, finishing in third overall. It even outsold the mighty Minecraft, which launched physically on the PlayStation 3 last month.

Fascinatingly, the PS4 versions of all multiformat releases outsold their Xbox One counterparts, though the Xbox 360 did continue to prove its popularity in some instances, with the last-gen editions of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, NBA 2K14, and Call of Duty: Ghosts performing particularly well.

Still, all three major manufacturers will be pleased to see overall hardware sales jump by 95 per cent year-over-year, with Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen systems in particular propelling console sales up from $96 million to $187 million. The folks at GameStop will no doubt be rubbing their hands with glee ahead of the fast approaching holiday shopping season.

We’ve included the full list of software movers and shakers below. So far, Sony’s done an excellent job of extending its lead in the United States, but in next month's report, it will come up against a cheaper Xbox One hardware model. With both The Last of Us Remastered and Destiny right around the corner, though, we reckon that the firm will be quite optimistic about the future.

Top Ten Physical Retail Releases: May 2014

1. Watch Dogs (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
2. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
3. MLB 14: The Show (PS4, PS3, Vita)
4. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
5. Minecraft (360, PS3)
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, Wii U)
7. NBA 2K14 (360, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, PC)
8. Titanfall (360, Xbox One, PC)
9. Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)
10. Call of Duty: Ghosts (360, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, PC, Wii U)

[source venturebeat.com, via neogaf.com]