UK Report: 71% of PS5 Users Say It is Their Main Console, 49% for Switch, and 48% for Xbox Series X - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 12 January 2023 / 8,080 Views
A report from Ampere Analysis asking UK owners of each console that use said console the most reveals that more owners of the PS5 use it as their main console than owners of other consoles.
71 percent of PlayStation 5 owners in the UK say it is the console they game on the most. The PlayStation 4 comes in second with 54 percent. 43 percent of PlayStation 5 Digital Edition owners say it is the console they game on the most and 39 percent of PlayStation 4 Pro owners.
49 percent of Xbox One and Xbox One S owners say they use it more than any other console, while it is 48 percent for Xbox Series X owners, 38 percent of Xbox One X owners, and 35 percent for Xbox Series S owners.
49 percent of Nintendo Switch owners use it more than other consoles they own.
Here are the owners of each console who indicate they use that console the most in the UK in 2022 (followed by 2021 percent and percent change):
- PlayStation 5 - 71% (59% / +12%)
- PlayStation 4 - 54% (64% / -10%)
- Xbox One/One S - 49% (50% / -1%)
- Nintendo Switch - 49% (40% / +9%)
- Xbox Series X - 48% (39% / +9%)
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition - 43% (45% / -2%)
- PlayStation 4 Pro - 39% (47% / -8%)
- Xbox One X - 38% (37% / +1%)
- Xbox Series S - 35% (28% / +7%)
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Lots of interesting little tidbits there.
-Lots of last gen PS4 and XB1 owners who still haven't upgraded to either Xbox Series or PS5. Only 10% of PS4 owners, 1% of XB1/XB1 S owners, and 8% of PS4 Pro owners made the jump to PS5 or Xbox Series this past year.
-Even though the Pro consoles from last gen are better able to play crossgen games than the base consoles from last gen are, far more Pro console owners have upgraded to Xbox Series/PS5 than base console owners have
-More than a 3rd of owners are using Series S as their primary console, while the rest are likely a mix of Series X, PS5, and Switch owners who bought one to use as a secondary or tertiary console.
-PS5 Digital is the only system to drop YoY in the number of people using it as a primary system. 43% of PS5 digital owners are using it as their primary console, which suggests that alot of Switch or Xbox gamers are buying the cheaper PS5 digital to use as a secondary or tertiary console in order to play PS exclusives, while sticking with Switch or Xbox as their primary console
Yeah, agreed that there are some crazy interesting tidbits here. Thank you for pointing out some of the more interesting ones!
I suspect there are no shortage of Series X owners who have a Series S for occasional use in another room of the house, driving that number down for that system.
The Switch has been my primary console since 2017. But then, I also don't live in the UK.
Same
In DonFerrari household 100% of owners have PS5 as primary console.
I bet there are many PC gamers using the Switch as a secondary device.
So this pretty much confirms that in UK for majority of people Series S is just a side console they were buying because they couldn't find a PS5, a Series X or a PC.
Since when could people not find a PC?
Exactly
I don't think we can comfortably assume that. For example, what about people who have a Series X in the main gaming room, but Series S consoles in other rooms that don't get gamed on as often? Series S is sufficiently inexpensive that probably more than a few people do that too.
I thought it was pretty common for people to have a console in the main living area, and other consoles in bedrooms, dens, etc. But you're right, that I don't have any data on it either way. However, there was an increase from 2021 to 2202 in the percentage of Series S owners using it as their main console, which isn't what we would have expected given those theories, so I'm re-thinking it anyway.
Actually, if you follow the link to the original data, it suggests the exact opposite conclusion. In fact, from 2021 to 2022 it suggests an increase in the percentage of Series S owners using it as their primary console, not a decrease as you'd expect if people had bought the Series S as a stop-gap until they finally got their hands on something more powerful.
EDIT - someone else pointed it out below, but the increases for Series S as primary console means people are not, as some fanboys love to assume with zero data, treating the S as some "well, I couldn;t get what I REALLY wanted" box. Perhaps it was that originally but is now a proper second console, and a person who bought it with that in mind from the get go is no different. Of course, from MS pov - I dont know if it materrs so long as you get the S and buy digi games and/or pay for GP.
It doesnt confirm that at all, but even if it did - that is a major win for MS because it means they could sell xboxen to many people who would otherwise not do that. Although if you are PC, you dont need either Xboxen since MS properly supports you, Sony kind/mostly/??? does and Nintendo does not (without piracy, which I entirely support), so I assume most Series 1 S is mostly selling to PS4/5 and Switch Owners (or perhaps people with X and S are more than I might assume).
Anyway, I think it confirms that the Series S was the right move, and having it around doesnt mean you bought it first - which is YOUR assumption, but I assumone I too can make assumptions, like why you made yours.
Well, does this mean only from those that are multiconsole - do you need to have more than one platform - is PC also another platform counted in this stuff? Yes, I could click through and maybe get this (unless the report has private bits) but perhaps someone from VGC knows.
I feel like this should be vital to the survey. If we assume more than on platform is not needed then we might easily assume that PS5 users are more likely to own a second platform vs the others, but I doubt that is necessarily true.
Assuming a lot of Xbox S/X owners use it for Game Pass.
If you count loyal Xbox fans, I wonder how many really just want Game Pass on console ?
It surly can't be the exclusive games, since there is barely any ATM
