PlayStation 5 accounted for half of UK console sales over past six months
PlayStation 5 accounted for 51 percent of all console sales in the UK over the past six months.
Sony's latest console held a 43 percent share on all console sales between November 2022 and October 2023, according to UK chart firm GfK (via Eurogamer's sister site GamesIndustry.biz). But hone in on the last six months and the PS5's sales account for just over 50 percent of all console purchases since May.
GfK games boss Dorian Bloch said these figures are a result of various price promotions held over the summer months, the console's recent EA Sports FC bundle and, of course, «unrestricted sales» on the standard PlayStation 5 model. Unlike previous years, there are currently no supply and stock shortages for Sony's PS5 console here in the UK.
«Over the same measures the Xbox Series consoles have dropped from 26 percent market share over the last 12 months to 23 percent over the last six months, but the biggest decline has been Switch, down from 34 percent to 25 percent,» Bloch said.
While the Nintendo Switch has seen a decline here in the UK and the States, where sales have dropped by 21 percent in 2023, overall the hybrid console is still performing well. This is largely due to Japanese sales and «other export territories».
However, these numbers could well change in the coming weeks, thanks to Black Friday and other seasonal promotions across the board.
«Q4 traditionally accounts for around 50 percent to 55 percent of hardware units, so there is still a lot to play for at the time of writing,» Bloch explained, adding that «console hardware year-to-date is currently eight percent ahead in the UK, but only due to a surging PlayStation.»
That being said, Bloch also reflected on the current cost-of-living crisis here
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