PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S vs Switch Launch Sales Comparison Through Month 48 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 December 2024 / 10,043 Views
This monthly series compares the aligned launch sales of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
It should be noted the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S had a worldwide launch, while the PlayStation 5 launch was split over the course of two weeks. Also, the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launched during the holidays in November 2020.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Global:
- Switch: 80,442,078
- PS5: 63,577,826
- XSX|S: 30,441,533
Through the first 48 months available worldwide the Nintendo Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 16.86 million units and is 50.00 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 33.14 million units.
The Switch has sold 80.44 million in 48 months worldwide, while the PS5 sold 63.58 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 30.44 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 48 months, the Switch is in the lead. The Switch has a 46.1 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 36.4 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 17.5 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch US:
- Switch: 27,012,228
- PS5: 21,965,141
- XSX|S: 15,398,986
Through the first 48 months available in the US the Nintendo Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 5.05 million units and is 11.61 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 6.57 million units.
The Switch has sold 27.01 million in 48 months in the US, while the PS5 sold 21.97 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 15.40 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 48 months, the Switch currently leads. The Switch has a 42.0 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 34.1 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 23.9 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Europe:
- PS5: 21,291,000
- Switch: 20,240,366
- XSX|S: 8,088,573
Through the first 48 months available in Europe the PlayStation 5 is ahead of the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Switch by 1.05 million units and is 13.20 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 12.15 million units.
The PS5 has sold 21.29 million in 48 months in Europe, while the Switch sold 20.24 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 8.09 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 48 months, the PlayStation 5 currently leads. The PS5 has a 42.9 percent marketshare, the Switch sits at 40.8 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 16.3 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Japan:
- Switch: 18,629,887
- PS5: 6,121,649
- XSX|S: 636,764
Through the first 48 months available in Japan the Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S by a wide margin. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 12.51 million units and is 17.99 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 5.48 million units.
The Switch has sold 18.63 million units in 48 months in Japan, while the PS5 has sold 6.12 million units, and the Xbox Series X|S 0.65 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 48 months, the Switch currently leads. The Switch has a 73.4 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 24.1 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 2.5 percent.
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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Who would have thought that the Switch would be ahead of the PS5 launch alligned after 4 years? I mean Xbox ok,, but PS5? Strange times...
Back in 2016/2017? That would have been percieved as a pretty bold statement. NSW wasn't even expected to outsell Wii, let alone hold a dominant lead over PS5 (especially with PS4 selling as well as it was).
Total figures of PS5 will be about 90 million. Maybe even less. The machine flopped very hard in Japan (for 2024 figures... horrible sells). Even with no real Series competition there... PS5 was a huge disappointment.
And Japan is not "just another market", but a capital one for Sony (lots of Japanese third party franchises empowered PS1 and PS2 around the world).
So, this MAYBE is the last great xmas season for PS5, will see. Expect PS6 for 2026, and Sony continuing to become more and more a PC developer to pay the costs of its AAA.
As much as i love all consoles amd hate to admit it, but yes! The PS5 is not Sonys main focus! Its the games. They do not care where you play your games, impprtant is you play THEIR games, subscribe to THEIR service! Its going the MS way. The only reason for it selling better is that its the comercial brand everyone knows. This is the reason games like FIFA selling so well. Mainstream brand. 0 quality, every year the same game with different teams. There is only one system left having real exclusives. I am afraid there will be only one system left with physical media. And that will be the Switch (sucessor)...
FIFA and CoD inertia sells are still strong, cause all those years, yes.
But now CoD is a Microsoft franchise, and many PS classic series from japanese developers are lost in the past or appeared on PC, and new chapters just launch in PC since day 1 (unless Sony pays a lot of money for a temp exlusivity, like FFXVI or both FFVII Re. And this probably does not even deserve the sacrifice anymore, seeing what Square Enix people said about that situation, recently).
So, yeah, Sony will mostly prefer to produce more and more for PC, and just get real profit from its multiple studios and their software. Selling hardware, today, cost a lot more than selling games, and Sony tends to cut costs: Not only the production but the logistics to sell machines are expensive... and digital distribution is not.
Probably Nintendo will continue to sell machines if they can and they continue to get big numbers, cause they depend so much on their own exclusivities and they have a huge loyal fandom. But most probably the competition for them will be portable consoles based on PCs (and maybe, also based on ARM, to be compatible with phones and tablets) from chinese companies. Sony may try to sell some before leaving the console market, but I doubt they can compete in price.
Why are you speculating the release date of PS6 ? There's still about 40-50 million people using PS4's that Sony need to bring over to PS5. The PS3 was 2006-2013. 7 years. PS4- 2013 -2020. 7 years. So why tell people this gen will be 6 years?
I can only speculate here but i think John VG was refering to Sony's statement that the PS5 entered its second part of its life cycle. This was a statement from Sony themselfes back at the beginning of the year.
I also have a hard time believing a PS6 or a new Xbox will make it till late 2026 but as Nintendo will likley release the Switch Up, sorry Switch 2😉 somewhere between march and summer 2025, MS and Sony should react in time. Sony's PS3 came out late in march 2007 and they lost. Waiting till 2028 could be crucial, anything later would be suicide. I would not say Sony becomes a PC developer (now), but the way they jump on this PC insanity at least does not sound too convincing to believe that physical AAA 1st party games would keep their main focus. I know this fact upsets many Sonyfans. But its fact. I can get moderated, warned or even get banned. It does not change the facts.
I don't think Sony need to react to a Switch 2 release as the switch 2 will still be technically weaker than PS5. The reason Sony lost so much ground to 360 was because the 360 was a far superior console to the PS2 when it launched in 2005, making it a much more desirable product. Switch 2 is just them catching up to the Series S, not a big problem for Sony
Is not about hardware but popularity. If Nintendo releases a new hot product with an all new Mario Kart, 3D Mario, Metroid and i don't know what the hell else they have it will for sure have an influence on Xbox and Playstation. Because their products might be superior in hardware but you have to consider the fact tht Switch 2 will be a handheld. Nobody expects PS5 power from a handheld. If we add the fact, that Sony is porting more and more games to PC it does not make it better. Sony underestimated the DS and they lost. Sony underestimated the 3DS and they lost. If they want to compete they need to come out in time. And yes Sony does compete with Nintendo otherwise they would not make a circus around PS2 numbers as they are doing right now.
The PS5 cannot lose to the switch/switch 2 as they are not competing devices. Can the PSP lose to the DS? Yes as both are handhelds. Vita lose to 3DS? Yes both are handhelds. Can PS5 lose to Switch 2? no. not competing devices. One is console, other is handheld
The PS2/ switch stuff at 160 million is just Sony being proud/honourable Japanese company wanting to hold onto their prestigious max selling gaming product status.
PS5 and Switch are both gaming devices that are meant to play physical games. They are sold in the same area in shopping centers. If one is a handheld it doesn't matter because its still a (mobile) gamesconsole.
I agree on your 2nd point but the number is not correct. I mean "over 160 million" thats no number. 160 and what? The official number had been changed several times. 155,1 to over 160 million for march 31, 2012. This is why its not true.
The biggest nuclear warhead ever detonated was tge Tsar Bomba with 57,8 MT in 1961 by the USSR. If the USA tested a nuke today thats 60,2 MT, Russia cannot rewrite history and say: "Oh, actually the Tsar was 61,2 MT, we where just calculating wrong!"
See what i mean? Why are there people who close their eyes before these obvious facts? And how would they act if Nintendo came out with a DS system abd a written fantasy number of 164,823.345 produced units?! Sonys would be the first to outrage. Or if MS went with a Xbox 360 and a fantasy number of 89.497.346 systems produced, trouncing the PS3? But if Sony does it its ok. To me it seems that Sony fanboyism is quite popular here at vgchartz.
As long as you can buy the same game on both devices, the devices are competing with each other. And there are many games which are available on PS5 and on Switch as well. The same goes for a Switch successor, especially if you can connect it with the TV. It's not about hardware power (see PS3 / Wii). Switch Lite is a handheld, but Switch is a hybrid console.
PS2 numbers are... suspicious.
Anyway, PS5 of course is competing with Switch and will compete with Switch 2, don't doubt it. Much more than PS4 competed against WiiU: a domestic machine too old to be considered a serious competition (a huge error by Nintendo, from day 1).
But Switch changed the game rules and erased the portable/domestic line.
"The reason the PS3 losing so much ground to 360 was a problem was because the 360 was a far superior console in it's technical specs"
That's just false. PS3 was, technically speaking, superior to 360. The problems of PS3 derived from coming one year later in the market than 360, PS3 being too expensive in its launch, and 360 selling very very well during that year with no competition in the nex-gen side.
So, the 360 success made companies treat both as equals in their ports, and PS3 had no real tech advantage to 360 in any practical way. But PS3 was, theoretically, no doubt, BETTER than X360.
Anyways, Wii won that generation, being by far the worst machine in specs. Basically a slighlty revamped Gamecube hidden in a new casing... with a new control. An epic win for the late Satoru Iwata: reselling an old commercially failed machine as a hugely desired console. Pure money since day 1.
He failed hard the second time he did that, though (WiiU).
In the end, he redeemed himself with Switch, the last project he worked on.
When I said far superior, I meant far superior to the PS2. The 360 was far superior to the PS2 technically so it was a much more desirable product when it launched in 2005. When the Switch 2 launches it will still be a weaker system so it won't be so much more desirable that it will force Sony to respond to it. Sorry for any confusion there, I don't know why I worded it like that
Its not about hardware power. If the Switch Sucessor outsells the PS5 regullary on a monthly base as PS5 numbers going down starting 2024, Sony needs to react. Why do you think there are rumors there being a hybrid/ handheld with PS5 (Pro in dock) power? Because they react on the market. The same was with PS Move, the PSP/ PSVita... If the Switch flopped we would get a standard PS6 just more powerfull, but recent rumors point to a hybrid!
Ps2? oh, my bad.
But PS2 did not really competed with 360. I mean, ok, sure they coexisted in the market as direct competitors... for just 1 year, Yes...
...but Sony did not lose ground because PS2: Look, Ps2 continued to sell VERY well that year, it was way cheaper than 360 (not everyone can buy a nex-gen console) and had a huge and popular library and new good titles. That was not the real problem. Yes, 360 sold well in 2005 (for a next gen console), absolutely, but that was NOT the real problem for Sony.
In fact, even after the launch of PS3 in 2006, PS2 continued to sold well during many years, as the "bottom/cheap" console product of Sony, Like PSone model did when PS2 appeared (PSone also sold very very well, some years after the launch of PS2).
What happened with PS3 (not PS2) was the real Sony's problem.
Sony make some mistakes with PS3. One of them was the price: PS3 launching price was expensive, very expensive. In 2006, X360 had one year in the market, altready had great games, and... cheaper prices. So many people buyed a X360 in 2006, because it was a lot cheaper than PS3 and got the same third party games (literally).
One good reason to explain that massive launch price for PS3 was the NEW Bluray reader it got. Bluray appeared that SAME year, 2006, so, it was A VERY EXPENSIVE technology by then. Putting one in every PS3 increased its price a lot.
And Sony could not change that decision after the launch, to try to cheap the price. They did everything they could: removed the PS2 hardware inside the PS3, removed memory cards and USB ports, put new hard disk with less capacity... everything, to make PS3 cheaper. But BluRay technology was too new to be cheaper, and they had to load with that.
Sony pretended to do the same they did with DVD readers and Play 2. In 2000 and 2001 it was a great idea and a great deal for the consumer to put a DVD reader in your new console, cause DVD movies started to be cheaper and popular just by then (DVD entered the market in 1998, but only got real popular by 2000-2001... because the prices lowered). But in 2006? BluRay was extremely new, expensive, and practically nobody needed a new Home-Movie video format in 2006: DVD format was extremely popular by then. So BluRay was an extra charge for a technology nobody really demanded, unlike DVDs in 2001.
I speculate about PS6 launch for 2 reasons:
1st: Sony fastly commented about PS6 being in development just the days those supposed Switch2 images appeared in the media (some weeks ago). That was NOT a coincidence: Sony always shows some anxiety when the rival companies show the new machines, and Sony always starts to talk about their new game machine about 2 years before the launch, even when the tech details are not even finally decided.
For example: It already happened with PS2 after the presentation of Dreamcast in Japan, many months BEFORE its launch on november1998 (about 1,5 and 2 years before the PS2 launch in Japan and US). In summer 1998, nobody really knew how powerful or not PS2 would be, but official pronouncements about a future PS2 emerged, and speculations started to appear in the media: The only thing speculated that was true, was the use of the (by 1998) new and expensive DVD format for the new machine.
2nd: It is very credible to me that Sony could launch PS6 for xmas in 2026. Do not expect all PS4 users will buy a PS5. Wrong: Many of them are actively waiting to the new generation.
The PS4 and PS5 overlapped too much. Sony launched PS5 TOO soon, just because they had fear of the Xbox Series. PS4 was still in a very good shape (too good) in 2020 (in fact, PS5 launch was a PS4 "sells shaving", it harmed PS4 numbers and its mature life cycle). Also, the PS5 launch was very redundant during many many months: the non-existing stock to buy PS5 (for wathever reasons) and many games appearing for both machines during years. Sony needed to wait, but Xbox Series announcement made Sony anxious.
Now, Sony has launched a PS5 Pro, but this time... MS did not want to do the same they did with One X, and "failed" to launch any revision. Why? Probably, because MS knows Series X/S are stalled in the market, and that will not change. So they prefer to launch a NEW generation machine in 2 years, not a useless revision of a (btw, great) system, that will not come back with massive numbers in its fifth year. For MS, unlike 10-15 years ago, this is not a huge problem, cause they have Windows, and PC is now the BIG player in gaming platforms. In fact, actual domestic consoles are just, basically, PC derived.
This creates a new situation, where Nintendo will launch Switch 2 soon, probably in March 2025 (with some kind of "PS4 capabilities"... but 100% PORTABLE... more than many would need for years), and MS will be in a good situation to launch a real next-gen machine by the end of 2026, with games developed FOR THAT MACHINE IN MIND. Sorry, but console revisions are always some kind of expensive "scams", cause its games NEED to work fine with the original basic model specs: there is no way to get the real power of a revamped (and expensive) system. Just a few minor graphical improvements).
In this situation, and seeing the great an unexpected success of Switch (at least, in 2017) around the globe but more especially in Japan, Sony will totally put its atention on Switch 2, and will try to be present as soon as they can with a new machine. Probably before xmas season of 2026 (Sony practically always [see below] launches its machines BEFORE Xmas). And Xmas of 2027 could be too late for Sony, as happened with X360 and PS3 in 2005 and 2006).
*[The launch of PS2 was in march, in Japan. Arrived many months later in pre-xmas time in western world, though.]
Total nonsense, they’re not releasing the PS6 2 years after the PS5 pro when the technology is not even close for even a small generational leap.
The PS5 will have an 8 year lifecycle and it will have a very elongated sales pattern, the PS4 dropped off incredibly quickly when the PS5 was rumoured was coming. It will likely break 120m. 90m is a pretty ludicrous suggestion considering it will be almost 70m sell through by the year end and if next year is steady year on year(it’s a GTA year) it would be close to 90m with 3 years of life left.
This, Too many people on here trying to convince others the PS5 is a dying platform that is near the end of it's life.
I also don't see the PS6 coming in 2026 but 2027 isn't too outlandish as PS5 sales started declining before the Switch sucessor is even announced. GTAVI at the end of next year won't change that. PS4 peaked in its 4th year. PS5 in it's 3rd. Add in the fact Sony themselfes said, that the PS5 is entering its second half of its Lifecycle. Like i said, i am not expecting a PS6 (also no Xbox) in 2026 but 2027 is a very realistic option giving said circumstances.
Essay Pro