EU PlayStation 5 sales triple whilst Xbox sales drop

Despite lower sales throughout 2021 and 2022, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) has seen a jump in sales so far in 2023, while the sales of its rival, the Xbox Series X/S, have slowly begun to fall.

The details:

• Sony's PS5 has been plagued by supply issues for the past two years, but sales of the console have increased since the company announced that the issues have been resolved. According to gamesindustry.biz head Christopher Dring, sales have increased by 202% compared to January 2022, making it Europe's best-selling console in January 2023.
• The rise in sales has pushed the Nintendo Switch down to second place, where it has also experienced an 11% drop in sales. The Xbox Series X/S is now in third place, with 32% fewer sales, implying that many people were simply waiting for the PS5 to become more widely available before upgrading to the current generation of consoles.
• Sales are expected to rise as more titles are released throughout 2023, including Final Fantasy XVI in June and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 at some point later in the year. Hogwarts Legacy has already proven to be a success for Sony's console, with 82% of its sales taking place on the PS5 in the UK.

What else is going on at PlayStation?

• The console manufacturer will reportedly hold a State of Play event in March, followed by a larger showcase later ahead of E3. The State of Play is said to be "low-key," with the platforms' biggest announcements coming during the bigger event. PlayStation has been absent from E3 since 2019, with reports of disagreements between Sony and the ESA.
• The PlayStation VR2 (PS VR2) is launching on February 22 for $550 USD, with Sony releasing an unboxing video for the headset ahead of the release. 37 titles will be available on the platform within the first month of release, including 13 new games. You can read our round-up of the games here.
• Guerrilla Games is working on multiple new Horizon projects, including the PS VR2 exclusive Horizon Call of the Mountain and Horizon Forbidden West DLC Burning Shores. The studio is also working on a multiplayer title that could possibly be available on mobile devices, as suggested by a recent job listing at the developer. Leaked screenshots of an early build of the game feature the "highly stylized" look that was confirmed, which could possibly be a measure to ensure it runs on weaker hardware.