According to the latest NPD Sales data for April 2018, PS4 hardware sales were more than both the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch combined. The boost in sales for the PS4 was undoubtedly aided by the April release if God of War, which has proved to be a strong contender for Game of the Year.
When comparing sales numbers to April 2017, both the PS4 and Xbox One had increased Year-on-Year, while the Switch was down. The drop in Switch sales YoY is likely due to April 2018 being the Switch’s 13th year on sale.
March and April 2017 were big months for the Switch, as the hype and excitement for the launch of the console drove strong sales. A year later, the hype has died down and without a big software launch in April, the Switch didn’t perform as strongly.
PS4 Hardware Sales
It’s important to note that the NPD data is only for sales within the United States.
The NPD figures are based on relative sales volumes which do not provide exact numbers sold. However, by comparing the relative sales volumes and YoY sales percentages, a sales figure can be exrapolated.
For the month of April 2018, the relative sales volumes for each console were;
- PS4: 1.92
- Switch: 1
- XBox One: 0.79
- 3DS: 0.41
YoY percentages for each were;
- PS4: +58%
- Switch: -39%
- XBox One: +20%
- 3DS: -3%
Based on the figures above, the PS4 hardware sales for April 2018 were 326,000 units. The Switch sold 171,000, the Xbox One sold 132,000 and the 3DS sold 66,000.
The hardware sales for the Xbox One and Switch combined totals 303,000. This puts the PS4 ahead by a whopping 23,000 units sold in April. The release of God of War has given the PS4 a significant boost in addition to neither the Xbox One or Switch having any ‘big releases’ in April.
The PS4 also saw the release of Yakuza 6 in April, though its impact on PS4 hardware sales is likely negligible when compared to God of War.
Race to 100 million
Based on the NPD hardware sales predictions for April, it looks as though the PS4 has now sold a total of 1.3 million units in 2018. The Xbox One has sold approximately 980,000 units and the Switch has sold approximately 1 million units.
As of February 2018, the PS4 had sold 76 million units worldwide. It can’t be too much longer before the PS4 passes 80 million units sold. With the PS5 not expected to launch until 2020, there’s a chance that the PS4 could pass 100 million units sold in its lifetime.
Aside from the incredible PS4 hardware sales figures this late into the generation, the April 2018 sales highlight how important software is for selling hardware. It also highlights how important exclusive titles, strong IP and single-player experiences are.
Given that Sony still has Spider-man, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us 2 and Days Gone to be released for PS4 this generation, there is every chance that the PS4 hardware sales will continue to impress.
