PS5 is estimated to have doubled Xbox Series X/S sales during Q1 2021
Research also suggests Nintendo Switch sold twice as many units as PS5
PlayStation 5 reportedly outsold Xbox Series X/S by more than 2 to 1 during the first three months of 2021, while Nintendo Switch outsold both its rivals combined.
That’s according to research from data and analytics firm Ampere Analysis, which suggests Sony sold through 2.83 million units to consumers during the first calendar quarter.
Sony recently confirmed that 3.3 million PS5 consoles were shipped in the three months to March 31, with supply constrained by parts unavailability that could result in PS5 shortages until 2022.
According to Ampere, Xbox Series X/S consoles sold a combined total of 1.31 million units in the first quarter of 2021.
Microsoft didn’t provide Xbox Series X/S shipment figures with its earnings results for the quarter, only noting that hardware revenue was up 232 percent year-over-year “driven by continued demand” for the new consoles, which it expects to be in short supply until at least June 2021.
“Both Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles are suffering from supply constraints and unpredictable availability,” said Ampere Analysis analyst Piers Harding-Rolls.
“Sony will be pleased that its PS4 market share is continuing into the new generation but it is very hard to gauge real demand under the current market conditions.”
Nintendo sold 5.86 million Switch consoles during the first quarter, according to Ampere, up 12% compared to Q1 2020.
The company announced this month that it had shipped 4.72 million Switch units in the three months to March 31.
Further reading
Analysis: So far, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sales haven't improved on last generation
President Shuntaro Furukawa subsequently confirmed that the global shortage of semiconductors is hampering Switch production efforts too.
“Switch will keep outselling the new Sony and Microsoft consoles during 2021 – the platform is at the peak of its sales cycle and is performing very strongly,” said Harding-Rolls.
