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Xbox has stormed the UK console market following the launch of new Xbox One S models.
The release of the firm’s new slim 500GB and 1TB SKUssaw Xbox One sales rise 989 per cent week-on-week.
The Xbox One had a 71 per cent share of the hardware market for the week ending September 24th, according to GfK data obtained by MCV. That’s an increase of 76 per cent year-on-year.
A new slimmed-down PS4 arrived earlier this month, but sales have so far been slow. PlayStation 4 had a market share of just 19 per cent last week, with unit sales declining 66 per cent year-on-year, although sales were up 22 per cent week-on-week. When the launch weeks for PS4 Slim and the 500GB/1TB Xbox One S are compared, Microsoft’s were stronger to the tune of 361 per cent.
Sony will be hoping that buyers are holding out for the launch of the high-spec 349 PS4 Pro in November.
The Xbox One S was announced on-stage at E3, and the 1TB and 500GB SKUs launched last week. Both werebundled with FIFA 17, which is officially released today (September 29th), meaning fans could play EA’s football title a week early, courtesy of the included EA Access trial membership.
The new S model offers a number of upgrades, such as 4K Blu-ray support.
A 2TB ‘pre-order edition’ of the Xbox One S was released on August 2nd, but the limited stock quickly vanished from shelves. Currently there do not seem to be any plans to restock the SKU.
It’s great to see how popular both the Xbox One S and the FIFA 17 Xbox One S consoles are with fans, not just over the last week but since the Xbox One S was released in August. 4K video streaming and 4K UHD Blu-ray have been extremely well received and we believe there is no better value right now for those looking to upgrade their console,” Xbox UK marketing boss Harvey Eagle told MCV.
It’s a fantastic time for gamers with the range of upcoming titles appealing to all audiences, from Gears of War 4 to Skyrim Special Edition and the release this week of the acclaimed Forza Horizon 3. There’s never been a better time to own an Xbox One.”
