Xbox One beats PS4 in US in July, but 3DS is the overall monthly champ

For the first time since October 2015, Xbox One has beat PS4 in the monthly US sales race.

This comes on the back of some heavy discounting to the console as Microsoft cleared stock ahead of the launch of the Xbox One S earlier this month. Sales of the machine for the period were up 18 per cent year-on-year, VG247 reports.

Sod’s law dictates, however, that Microsoft’s achievement is overshadowed somewhat by the fact that Xbox One didn’t actually grab the hardware top spot – that was claimed by Nintendo’s previously struggling 3DS.

Pokemon fever is the cause, pushing 3DS hardware sales up 80 per cent year-on-year. Pokemon games were also back in the charts, with Pokemon X and Y up 200 per cent and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire up 80 per cent.