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Sony slumped to a shock defeat in April 2015's unexpected NPD sales report, but this year all three major console manufacturers have declined to comment on hardware numbers. Whatever the reason for that, the manufacturer can take heart from some pretty outstanding software performers – including Ratchet & Clank, which recaptured its PlayStation 2 glory days, and shot straight into second place in the United States software charts for last month.

The game was joined by first-party sports sim MLB 16 The Show in third, while Dark Souls III – which heavily outpaced its predecessor Dark Souls II – topped the best sellers list, and sold best on Sony's system. Despite these strong performers, though, software sales actually declined 21 per cent year-over-year, while hardware sales dipped by 23 per cent. The industry as a whole amassed $509.5 million, down 15 per cent from $598.1 million in 2015. Some argue that the lower selling prices of the PS4 and Xbox One are to blame, which may explain why PS4K is being readied for release.

Still, it's always great to see PlayStation exclusive releases faring well, and while Sony hasn't commented on this month's report at the time of typing, we're sure that it will be stoked to see Insomniac's well-loved Lombax back where he deserves. Next month's report will, of course, include Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and from what we're hearing on the grapevine, it's going to be an absolutely colossal success. Will it be enough to shake the American industry from its slump, though? We'll have to wait and see.

Update: Sony has confirmed that the PS4 was the best selling console in the US throughout April 2016.

Top Ten Physical Retail Releases: April 2016

  1. Dark Souls III (PS4, Xbox One)
  2. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
  3. MLB 16 The Show (PS4, PS3)
  4. Tom Clancy's The Division (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
  5. Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
  6. Minecraft (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3)
  7. Quantum Break (Xbox One)
  8. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
  9. NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
  10. Star Fox: Zero (Wii U)

[source venturebeat.com, via neogaf.com]