Console sales are surging, with millions of people locked up at home, trying to entertain themselves. Current-gen consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One have been flying off the shelves, as the arrival of their next-gen successors, the PS5 and Xbox Series X, draws ever closer.
New market data from GSD shows that, for the week beginning Monday, March 16, console sales rose by 155%.
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That’s an astonishing figure, and shows that a lot of people are turning to gaming to get them through this period of isolation. 259,169 consoles were sold, with the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One all shifting a surprisingly high number of units (via GamesIndustry.biz).
While the PS4’s successor will soon be on the market (the PS5 is due ‘Holiday 2020’), it’s still a fantastic gaming system and is becoming cheaper as the release of the PS5 nears. At the moment, you can pick up a 500GB PS4, with a game, for around £250. It’s even cheaper to pick up a second-hand console too.
Compare that to the price tags we’re expecting to see slapped on the PS5 and Xbox Series X and we can see why the PS4 is selling like hot-cakes. We’re expecting something in the £400-£500 range, so potentially a PS4 is around half the price a PS5 will be on release.
However, it’s clear that the most important factor in this sales spike is the near-global lockdown that’s going on due to the spread of Covid-19. We’ve seen similar spikes in demand for streaming sites, video chat services and basically anything that will keep people entertained at home.
If you’re locked away at home, self-isolating, home-schooling, or working from home, you might be considering picking up a console too, or some new games. If you are, we’ve got a wealth of buying advice on the best consoles, games and entertainment to make lockdown that bit more bearable. Try some of the guides below…
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.