71% of UK PS5 owners say it’s their main console, versus 48% of Xbox Series X owners, research finds

PlayStation 5 owners in the UK are far more likely to consider it their main console than Xbox Series X/S owners, a new survey has found.

Research by Ampere Analysis claims that 71% of respondents who said they owned the disc version of the PS5 said they used that console the most.

Meanwhile, of those who said they owned an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, that number dropped to 48% and 35% respectively, while 49% of Switch owners considered it their main system.

The figures appear to support the theory that a number of players buy Xbox consoles – particularly the lower priced Xbox Series S – to use as secondary ‘Game Pass systems’.

Somewhat curiously, the data also shows that only 43% of players who own the Digital Edition of the PlayStation 5 consider it their main system.

This may suggest that the more ‘dedicated’ Sony fans are more likely to purchase the disc-based version of the console.

Ampere’s analysis suggests that one of the reasons so many PS5 owners consider it their main console is because “PS5 owners are more likely to be single console owners”.

“However,” it adds, “this does not fully explain the disparity in this measure between the PS5 disc-based version and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, its key competitor on the market, having launched at the same time.”

Following the publication of the data, Ampere games analyst Piers Harding-Rolls provided more analysis on Twitter.

“In a market where most console gamers play across multiple consoles, including across brands, the role of the ‘primary console’ has big implications for monetisation of users, lifetime value and market share,” he explained.

“It’s early days, but this suggests Sony’s exclusives strategy and brand strength has not been substantially disrupted by Microsoft’s Game Pass strategy yet (in the UK).”

However, he points out: “Of course, this metric does not show comparative time spent on different consoles, so that ratio may well be changing and 2023 is a big year for Game Pass and Microsoft exclusives.”