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A new contender threatened to steal the PlayStation 4's console launch crown last week: the Nintendo Switch released in the UK – but it couldn't topple the Sony system's monster debut. According to Games Industry.biz, the Big N's hybrid moved a respectable 80,000 units over its opening weekend – double that of the Wii U but a long way short of the PS4's frightening 250,000 units opening.

To be clear, Sony's newest console did launch right during the peak of the holiday season which surely had an impact on its figures. The aforementioned number also pertains to its opening week as opposed to the Switch's launch weekend, though we do remember the PS4 being practically sold out beyond launch day.

Still, it does make you wonder whether Sony's record setting launch will ever be beaten. For comparison, the Xbox One debuted with 150,000 units in Britain and the 3DS just 113,000 units, so it's way out in the lead. Even the Wii, which was a smash hit on these shores, only mustered 105,000 units at launch due to stock shortages. Will the PS4's debut ever be beaten? Let us know in the comments below.

[source gamesindustry.biz]