Meanwhile, depending on what metric you look at, either the Nintendo Switch or the PlayStation 5 are number one - in August, the Switch moved the most individual units, however the PlayStation 5 achieved the highest amount of money earned from sales. The discrepancy comes from the difference in price, however it’s still obvious that the two systems are cutting it really close.
Based on data from the international analyst firm NDP Group, all console sales are trending way up, and even non-console hardware sales tied to PC gaming show similar growth. This entire year has been a financial standout for the gaming industry, with the sudden growth attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw millions stuck at home due to lockdown measures. Seeking new forms of entertainment, many turned to video games. This growth defies both hardware shortages and game delays, both of which have also been caused by the same pandemic. It’s still hard to find a PS5 at retail, and still we hear news of titles being delayed into 2022. Even so, units are moving with no sign of slowing down just yet. While the Nintendo Switch is owning unit sales consistently since its launch in 2017, the PlayStation 5 is delivering more impressive and surprising statistics. Blowing all previous PlayStation consoles out of the water in terms of success, it is still the best and fastest selling Sony console of all time. This pandemic-fueled market boom is bound to slow down eventually as lockdown measures loosen and enough people get vaccinated to slow the spread of the disease - however, new variants and projected infection waves, combined by nonsensical opposition against vaccination, might prolong the current situation.
