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[UK] Monthly Console sales (constantly updated) | GFK data from Chris Ding via GI.biz

2020: ~3,160,000 units (up 29.4% YoY)
Switch #1 >1,500,000 units (up 52.4% YoY)
Ps5 #2 >450,000 units
Ps4 #3 ~450,000 units (down 35.3% YoY)
Xbox Series #4 >310,000 units
Xbox One #5 <300,000 units (down 42.3% YoY)
PS5 and Xbox Series sold 800,000 consoles in the UK last year | GamesIndustry.biz
GI21_Whitepaper.pdf | DocDroid



2021

January:
>150,000 units
Xbox Series #1
Switch #2 (up 21% YoY)
Ps5 #3 narrowly behind #2
Xbox Series S/X was the No.1 console of January | UK Monthly GfK Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


February: >200,000 units | 373,426 cumulative (up 184.4% YoY)
Ps5 #1
Switch #2 (up 81%YTD)
Xbox Series #3
PS5 and Switch sales spike in February | UK Monthly Boxed Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


March: 217,268 units (down 7.6% YoY)
Ps5 #1 sold more than December 2020
Xbox Series #2
Switch #3 (up 13.6% YTD)
PlayStation 5 enjoys second biggest month so far | UK Monthly Boxed Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


April: >90,000 units (down 59% YoY)
Switch #1 leading Ps5 YTD neck-and-neck
Xbox Series #2
Ps5 #4
Nintendo Switch comes out top in April as PS5 stock slows | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


May: <200,000 units (up 17% YoY)
Ps5 #1 now ahead Switch YTD comfortably
Xbox Series #2 (up MoM)
Switch #3 narrowly behind #2 (down MoM few 100 units | down YTD)
PS5 and Resident Evil Village dominate May | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz

3 last weeks of May + the 1 "missing" week start of June is ~172,500 units

June: >183,000 units (up 6% MoM)
Ps5 #1 (down MoM)
Xbox Series #2 (up MoM)
Switch #3 (up MoM)
Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch sales improve in June | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


July: 146,000 units (down 21% MoM)
Ps5 #1 (flat MoM)
Switch #2 (slightly down MoM)
Xbox Series #3 stock war hard to come by
Zelda, F1 and PS5 can't prevent July sales slump | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


August: >151,500 units
Ps5 #1
Switch #2 (slightly down MoM)
Xbox Series #3
PS5 hits 1m UK sales in record time | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


September: <220,000 units
Ps5 #1
Xbox Series #2
Switch #3 (up MoM)
FIFA 22 UK sales were 77% digital | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz

October: 228,632 units
Switch #1
Ps5 #2
Xbox Series #3
Nintendo Switch back at No.1 after OLED launch | UK Monthly Charts | GamesIndustry.biz


YTD: >1,830,000 units (up YoY)
Ps5 #1
Switch #2 (down YoY)
Xbox Series #3

notable YTD events
April/May: Series S becomes readily available at retailers in the UK
May: PS5 overtook Switch as the leading console
August 14th: PS5 reached 1m units sold LTD (>550k YTD)
October 30th: Xbox Series X|S outsold Wii U lifetime sales (>590k YTD)




disclaimer:
GFK is tracking point of sale data of every major retailer in the UK except for Currys. They cover 85% of the market.
3 weeks (week 9, 22 and 35) are missing from those monthly numbers and they could change the rankings because Xbox Series X and PS5 are sold in batches and not on a steady baseline like Switch.
Series S was readily available since end of April / early May, so only the Week in March could've made a bigger impact.
NPD cadence is for example 4,4,5,4,4,5,4,4 weeks to get to the full 52 weeks every year.
 
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theres plenty of ps5 stock coming into the uk now. i just managed to finally order one this morning. anyway, its looking like PS5 will take top spot this year but than again, theres a new switch model coming so who knows.
 
Knowing the numbers for all 3 would be nice.
If you know the total, YTD ranking and monthly rankings with some color added from Chris, you can play with the numbers yourself.
At ~680 - 700k total, Switch was still ahead of PS5. Especially if you can get an actual number for Switch sales thanks to the constantly YoY comparison you could narrow it down.
You need to give last gen some sales, but I have no idea how big that % is.
 
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Reactions: TLZ

Banjo64

cumsessed
theres plenty of ps5 stock coming into the uk now. i just managed to finally order one this morning. anyway, its looking like PS5 will take top spot this year but than again, theres a new switch model coming so who knows.
Game was a complete cluster fuck this morning but Very was ace. I had a PS5 physical in my basket about to check out but it was bundled with Ratchet and a controller for £580. I only really want the digital at £360 so decided to pass.

It’s given me great spirit though knowing that I will actually be able to get one soon.
 
If you know the total, YTD ranking and monthly rankings with some color added from Chris, you can play with the numbers yourself.
At ~680 - 700k total, Switch was still ahead of PS5. Especially if you can get an actual number for Switch sales thanks to the constantly YoY comparison you could narrow it down.
You need to give last gen some sales, but I have no idea how big that % is.

I think that you aware that PS5 is the best selling console in 2021 in UK so far.




Also, PS5 had the best launch in console history in UK. I think it was over 250k.

 
Game was a complete cluster fuck this morning but Very was ace. I had a PS5 physical in my basket about to check out but it was bundled with Ratchet and a controller for £580. I only really want the digital at £360 so decided to pass.

It’s given me great spirit though knowing that I will actually be able to get one soon.

yea, very were brilliant today! they drip fed stock through the morning. i ended up getting the bundle you mentioned even though i only wanted the console only. they even had the digital in stock but it only lasted 10 minutes or so. they also had an XSX with 3 months of gamepass! i was so tempted to buy them both today but i decided to wait on getting the xbox. anyone else from uk here and want a series x? very have it in stock right now! just checked.
 
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ethomaz

Banned
If you know the total, YTD ranking and monthly rankings with some color added from Chris, you can play with the numbers yourself.
At ~680 - 700k total, Switch was still ahead of PS5. Especially if you can get an actual number for Switch sales thanks to the constantly YoY comparison you could narrow it down.
You need to give last gen some sales, but I have no idea how big that % is.
PS5 is ahead YTD with a good margin.
 
I think that you aware that PS5 is the best selling console in 2021 in UK so far.




Also, PS5 had the best launch in console history in UK. I think it was over 250k.


PS5 is ahead YTD with a good margin.
I know I wrote it in the OP.
My point is, that in April, wenn the total was 200k below Switch was still ahead.

Switch sold ~1.5m in 2020 (up 55% YoY)
So if you have Switch YoY figures for 2021, you have one real data point.
But that does not work yet.

PS5 sold ~450k in
Xbox Series ~310k
 

ethomaz

Banned
I know I wrote it in the OP.
My point is, that in April, wenn the total was 200k below Switch was still ahead.

Switch sold ~1.5m in 2020 (up 55% YoY)
So if you have Switch YoY figures for 2021, you have one real data point.
But that does not work yet.

PS5 sold ~450k in
Xbox Series ~310k
It was basically pretty close in April to the point that with May numbers the PS5 got a health lead.
Maybe the 2020 data is not accurate? I don't know.... we don't have monthly 2020 data to check.
 
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Do you see GI.biz statement that PS5 is so far the best selling console in UK in 2021, annouced a week ago?
What are trying to spin?
What are you talking about?
Of course I know that. And I already posted that in the OP, before you even cam in here.
So what spin? This is a sales analysis and compilation topic.
 
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What are you talking about?
Of course I know that. And I already posted that in the OP, before you even cam in here.
So what spin? This is a sales analysis and compilation topic.

My point is, that in April, wenn the total was 200k below Switch was still ahead.

Switch sold ~1.5m in 2020 (up 55% YoY)
So if you have Switch YoY figures for 2021, you have one real data point.
But that does not work yet.
To me this post of yours is questioning PS5 lead in 2021 so far
 
To me this post of yours is questioning PS5 lead in 2021 so far
No, that is needed to find out the actual numbers in 2021 for the 3 consoles.
Switch is the only one with 2020 sales. So if you have 2020 Switch sales up until May(Switch is down YTD at this point in 2021), you now have one firm data point.
Ps5 would be above that number and Xbox Series below it.

So far we only know the ranking of 2021.
Knowing if Switch is below 300k, below 275k, or below 250k, would be very helpful to crunch some numbers.
But we only have actual numbers for full 2021. Not monthly.


edit:
Switch was #1 in April and #3 in May.
May was just some hundred units down MoM


So If #1 in April was Switch with >50k units, Xbox Series and Ps5 sold over 50k.
That's ~150k sales already

Tho I personally think, that #1 Switch in April was just over 40k and not 50k.
 
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kingfey

Banned
Are people really interested in exclusive or not? The series console were selling good numbers, despite not having any next games, or any exclusive available.

Is that gamepass effect? Or people generally like to play on their preferred console?

Can someone explain to me, how is this possible?
 
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DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Are people really interested in exclusive or not? The series console were selling good numbers, despite not having any next games, or any exclusive available.

Is that gamepass effect? Or people generally like to play on their preferred console?

Can someone explain to me, how is this possible?

We cant make a definitive comment on this. No one truly knows what the PS5 would sell if it wasn't supply constrained. Same for the Xbox. Maybe Game pass is negating some of the demand of exclusivity. Too early to tell, and by the time stock is available freely on both MS might have their exclusive line up sorted out.
 

Greggy

Member
Are people really interested in exclusive or not? The series console were selling good numbers, despite not having any next games, or any exclusive available.

Is that gamepass effect? Or people generally like to play on their preferred console?

Can someone explain to me, how is this possible?
I agree the Series consoles are selling very well given that MS is providing many ways of playing Xbox games without owning a console and no AAA exclusive has yet been released.
It bodes well for them with respect to the rest of this generation. It will only sell more as game pass's value starts to sky rocket with big first party games appearing day one on a regular basis.
 
Are people really interested in exclusive or not? The series console were selling good numbers, despite not having any next games, or any exclusive available.

Is that gamepass effect? Or people generally like to play on their preferred console?

Can someone explain to me, how is this possible?

It's kind of hard to determine anything with both systems being extremely supply limited. With the launch of a highly anticipated exclusive we usually see a dramatic increase in system sales. But that's kind of hard to determine if the systems sells out regardless of a 1st party release.

We've seen both systems sell out with and without exclusives. I guess the best thing to do is to look at software sales.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
It's kind of hard to determine anything with both systems being extremely supply limited. With the launch of a highly anticipated exclusive we usually see a dramatic increase in system sales. But that's kind of hard to determine if the systems sells out regardless of a 1st party release.

We've seen both systems sell out with and without exclusives. I guess the best thing to do is to look at software sales.

And this almost always the case within the first 6-12 months of a console release.
 
Are people really interested in exclusive or not? The series console were selling good numbers, despite not having any next games, or any exclusive available.

Is that gamepass effect? Or people generally like to play on their preferred console?

Can someone explain to me, how is this possible?
Exclusives do not move systems nearly as much as some people claim. They accounted for only 18% of PlayStation's entire division revenue in 2020, which is still a lot in and of itself but also means the other 82% were 3P software revenue.

For Nintendo, they push hardware sales a bit more in terms of total volumes but then again there were the Gamecube and Wii U, which also had great 1P and even quite a lot of exclusive 3P content, goes to show that you really need that balance of exclusives, 3P support, services/features and hardware quality.

I think exclusives matter a lot more to brand optics which CAN serve a boost to hardware sales and ecosystem revenue when combined with consistent, solid 3P support. But generally, a system or ecosystem can't be sustained off exclusives alone, unless you just have a metric ton of them releasing regularly (something it seems like Microsoft wants to start doing if their "1 AAA game per quarter" goal is fulfilled soon), and again, they act as a support for spearheading software releases mostly populated by 3P content.

It's kind of hard to determine anything with both systems being extremely supply limited. With the launch of a highly anticipated exclusive we usually see a dramatic increase in system sales. But that's kind of hard to determine if the systems sells out regardless of a 1st party release.

We've seen both systems sell out with and without exclusives. I guess the best thing to do is to look at software sales.

Unfortunately that is hard to do when certain software on various platforms don't count digital sales to their result totals, or when physical copies for certain games are artificially limited by the publisher creating a catch-22 (something I think might be happening with a few Xbox games in the UK for example, would explain some of the massive splits in boxed copy sales at least with some games).

At the end of the day all three platform holders are doing very well and seem healthy, and that is the main thing of importance IMHO.
 
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Exclusives do not move systems nearly as much as some people claim. They accounted for only 18% of PlayStation's entire division revenue in 2020, which is still a lot in and of itself but also means the other 82% were 3P software revenue.

For Nintendo, they push hardware sales a bit more in terms of total volumes but then again there were the Gamecube and Wii U, which also had great 1P and even quite a lot of exclusive 3P content, goes to show that you really need that balance of exclusives, 3P support, services/features and hardware quality.

I think exclusives matter a lot more to brand optics which CAN serve a boost to hardware sales and ecosystem revenue when combined with consistent, solid 3P support. But generally, a system or ecosystem can't be sustained off exclusives alone, unless you just have a metric ton of them releasing regularly (something it seems like Microsoft wants to start doing if their "1 AAA game per quarter" goal is fulfilled soon), and again, they act as a support for spearheading software releases mostly populated by 3P content.



Unfortunately that is hard to do when certain software on various platforms don't count digital sales to their result totals, or when physical copies for certain games are artificially limited by the publisher creating a catch-22 (something I think might be happening with a few Xbox games in the UK for example, would explain some of the massive splits in boxed copy sales at least with some games).

At the end of the day all three platform holders are doing very well and seem healthy, and that is the main thing of importance IMHO.
CmaD8RD.png


Just so you know how different digital splits are for different games and platforms and depending on their age in the lifecycle of the product.
Some games are even lower (Nintendo 1st party) and some games are even higher (Microsoft 1st party)
 

mckmas8808

Banned
CmaD8RD.png


Just so you know how different digital splits are for different games and platforms and depending on their age in the lifecycle of the product.
Some games are even lower (Nintendo 1st party) and some games are even higher (Microsoft 1st party)

Soooo........TLOU2 selling 46% more than Ghost of Tsushima means what?


Confused Which One GIF by HyperX
 

ethomaz

Banned
You know people on this form have a hard time understanding that both PS5 and Series X for their price to performance ratio are fantastic pieces of kit.
They are starting to understand.

Look at PS5 DE for example it is the same price as Steam Deck... and about $50 expensive than Switch OLED... even the expensive models PS5 and Series X still are priced way better than these two.
 
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Yeah, but sometimes more stock gets send and sometimes less.
In April there were no PS5 in July there were no Series X

I understand that but there was still a shortage with both since supply still failed to meet with demand. I know that sometimes that shortage could be worse though which could increase the sales gap between the two. Like that month where the Series won due to a much lower supply of PS5s.

It's difficult to gauge the actual demand though. All I can guess is that the PS5 probably has a higher demand based off historical data.
 
I understand that but there was still a shortage with both since supply still failed to meet with demand. I know that sometimes that shortage could be worse though which could increase the sales gap between the two. Like that month where the Series won due to a much lower supply of PS5s.

It's difficult to gauge the actual demand though. All I can guess is that the PS5 probably has a higher demand based off historical data.
You can gauge demand by looking at scalper prices. PS5 is at €633, XSX is at €668. Source: Stockinformer
 

ethomaz

Banned
Funny to see this being celebrated but people getting comfortably salty when news is posted of Switch comfortably ahead of Playstation in the rest of the world over the past 3 years.
I don't even know what are you talking about.
If it was Switch it was probably on the main page in a hot thread right now instead a post.
 
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