For the second month on the trot, Xbox One was the best-selling console in the States during the month of August, figures published by NPD Group have confirmed.
Buoyed by the recent launch of the Xbox One S – a hardware refresh that is 40 percent slimmer than its console brethren – Microsoft saw off competition from PlayStation 4, after Sony’s console had reigned supreme at the top of the console characters since the beginning of 2016. It’s worth pointing out that NPD is yet to reveal figures for all platforms; for the sake of perspective, 3DS topped the pile in July.
Nevertheless, Mike Nichols, marketing boss at Xbox Games, welcomed the confirmation with open arms, reminding players that Xbox One S boasts 4K Blu-ray support and HDR gaming in what can be seen as a slight dig at Sony in the fallout of the PS4 Pro reveal.
“Thanks to our fans and their excitement for new Xbox One games and the recently launched Xbox One S — which is the only console available this holiday with built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming, and HDR for video and gaming — Xbox One was the best-selling console in the U.S. in August, according to NPD Group.”
Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg echoed that sentiment via Twitter, extending a message of thanks to the Xbox community.
Thanks to everyone for the amazing support making @Xbox One #1 selling console in US for August from @npdgroup second month in a row!
— Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) September 8, 2016
In related news, a new third-party Xbox One called Nesbox will soon let console owners access Nintendo and SEGA games through the power of an emulator. It’ll be available over the course of the weekend after making it through certification.