With the PS5 and Xbox Series X just a few weeks away, the console wars are once again starting to heat up. Anxious fans are waiting for the opportunity to take home their system of choice, though according to new research from Rise at Seven, thePS5 has a strong leadin terms of early consumer interest compared to the Xbox Series X.
Rise at Seven used Google data and online market research to determine which console was the most popular by country. According to Rise at Seven, the PS5 was more highly anticipated than the Xbox Series X in 148 of the 161 countries included in the research, giving the PlayStation a considerable lead over Microsoft’s console.
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However, there is a fair bit of nuance to this conclusion. In some major markets, like the US and the UK, the race is pretty tight. For instance, in both of those countries, PlayStation owns 57% of the total online market share. While that’s still a significant advantage, it’s s fairly even split when it comes to thePS5andXbox Series X’s popularity.
Xbox does hold the lead in China and New Zealand, controlling 54.97% and 51.04% of the market in those countries, respectively. It isn’t as considerable as the tight fist the PS5 seems to have on the globe, but it’s definitely a win for the company in those areas. Of course, thePS4 has vastly outsold the Xbox Onethis generation, so it stands to reason that the PS5 would have an early lead from a brand loyalty standpoint.
One of the most staggering leads, though also one of the most predictable, is the PS5’s 98.94% share of Japan’s market, leaving Microsoft a mere 1.05%. PlayStation and Nintendo dominate Japan, largely due to the fact that they’re both Japanese companies, but it’s still a massive gap in popularity between thePS5 and Xbox Series X, leaving Microsoft with little more than scraps in the region.
Rise at Seven’s data doesn’t paint a great picture for the Xbox Series X, but Microsoft is playing the long game. Its strategy is no longer just to sell consoles, instead putting a heavier emphasis on services likeXbox Game Passand its upcoming game streaming platform. It’s a big risk, as it effectively means ditching the traditional console cycle in favor of a new business model, but it may very well pay off. Plus, both consoles' pre-orders sold out almost instantly, which is a good sign for the health of the games industry moving forward.
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