Battle of Entertainment Consoles

The battle between Microsoft and Sony has officially started as Xbox One went on sale in 13 countries on November 22. According to Microsoft, 1 million devices were sold within 24 hours. Sony’s PS4 went on sale in North America a week before and 1 million consoles were sold within 1 day.

Many had expected a higher sales number from Microsoft given its bigger launch market. Moving forward, holiday shoppers might favor Sony’s console over Xbox One, according to Parks Associates survey, which showed around 36% of console shoppers plan to purchase PS4 while 27% planning to buy a Microsoft console. Nintendo is 3rd among console shoppers, and Ouya, a relatively cheaper ($99) Android-powered game console, is the 4th most-desired brand. Overall, some 15% of all US broadband HHs plan to purchase both a tablet and a game console, the survey said. While tablets are overall the most-popular CE device this holiday season, new consoles from Microsoft and Sony, along with other less-expensive options, will "reinvigorate gaming this year," John Barrett, director of consumer analytics said. "These new models will also help get shoppers into the stores, as console shoppers prefer to shop at retail stores versus purchasing online," he said.

Meanwhile, almost 50% of console shoppers plan to shop in-person, at a retail store, while 48% of tablet shoppers plan to shop for that device online, Barrett said. Shoppers planning to purchase both a tablet and a game console are expected to spend around $1,400 this holiday season, enough to afford both devices but likely not enough for all the products they plan to buy this year, he said.