4 months after launch, PS5 finally has its first UK No.1 game with Miles Morales

PlayStation 5 has achieved its first No.1 game in the UK physical software chart with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, four months after the console launched.

According to Gfk data, Miles Morales was the best-selling boxed title in the UK for the week ending March 13. Although the game is also available on PS4, it would still be No.1 based on PS5 sales alone, GI.biz reports, as PS5 accounted for 90% of this week’s total sales.

Overall, Miles Morales’ sales increased 36% week-on-week, likely on the back of additional PlayStation 5 hardware stock being made available at retailers. The Gfk chart does not track digital game sales.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales was the PS5’s biggest launch game in the UK, though sales didn’t quite reach the height of 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Following its release on November 12, the Insomniac title sold 4.1 million copies by December 31, 2020, according to Sony.

PlayStation 5 boxed game sales have frequently surged in the UK during recent weeks, as PS5 consoles become more widespread at retailers, although the hardware is still experiencing immediate sell outs.

The PS5 enjoyed similar software sales boosts earlier in February and in January, which suggests that standard consumers, and not just those looking to resell the consoles, have been able to get their hands on them.

In the most recent UK sales charts, other games benefiting from PS5 console availability included Ubisoft‘s Immortals: Fenyx Rising (up 52% in sales and at No.14), and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, which enjoyed a sales increase of 203%, reportedly driven by the PlayStation 5 version.

A global shortage of semiconductors has seen many consumer electronics firms struggle to meet demand during the pandemic, and this has caused high-value items such as PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nvidia RTX graphics cards to be targeted by resellers using bot software to snap them up.

Id Software co-founder John Carmack has even suggested that console and GPU manufacturers auction off their own products in an effort to cut out scalpers.

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan recently told GQ Sony was “doing our best” to provide more console stock for the UK. “I was just looking at the supply figures for the UK – we put a considerable amount of product into the UK market last week. And that will continue over weeks and months to come,” he said.

Elsewhere in the UK boxed chart, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury fell to No.2 after four weeks at the top. The Nintendo Switch game dropped 15% in sales week-on-week.

UK Physical Games Chart (week ending March 13)

1. Spider-Man: Miles Morales (last week: 2)
2. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (last week: `)
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (last week: 3)
4. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe (last week: 4)
5. Minecraft (Switch) (last week: 8)
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (last week: 5)
7. Grand Theft Auto 5 (last week: 7)
8. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (last week: 10)
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars (last week: 6)
10. Ring Fit Adventure (last week: 9)