NEWS - Return to news section

Microsoft's Xbox One was the best selling console again for the fourth month running, despite the release of Sony's PS4 Slim.

Ahead of the NPD group report on October video game sales in the U.S. market, many analysts tipped the PS4 to regain the top spot it had held for most of this current console generation thanks to the introduction of the PS4 Slim. But with the only major change in the PS4 Slim being the size of the console, and with the more extensively upgraded PS4 Pro debuting this month, it appears gamers largely chose to ignore the svelte version of the PS4.

On the other hand, Microsoft debuted its Xbox One S in August and it has been warmly welcomed by gamers who were less than impressed by the original Xbox One. The 'S' also reduced the footprint of the console and adds HDR gaming just like the PS4 Slim (although the original PS4 will also get HDR thanks to a firmware update), but in addition, it also added the ability to upscale games to 4K, and most significantly of all, added Ultra HD Blu-ray playback to the console's media capabilities. This made the Xbox One S one of the cheapest UHD 4K players on the market, even without considering its main gaming features.

And Microsoft was able to do all of this, plus offer a modest performance upgrade for existing games, at the same price point as the PS4 Slim, $299.

Microsoft's reign at the top of the console charts may come to an end in November though, as the PS4 Pro, dubbed the most powerful console ever, is released this month, albeit at the higher price point of $399. The PS4 Pro will have some games available in native 4K, but most upscaled, but in a more advanced way that offers a "near native 4K" experience.