Xbox One had its best January since launch in the US, but Playstation 4 still outsold it

Laurent Giret

Xbox One S Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle

As Sony’s Playstation 4 outsold the Xbox One during the past holiday season in the US, many wondered how Microsoft’s gaming console would perform during the first month of 2017. According to the latest data from NPD Group, the Playstation 4 was once again the best-selling console in the US in January, even though Microsoft claims that the Xbox One was the only eighth-generation console that saw growth year-over-year during the period.

Speaking to VentureBeat, Corporate vice president of Xbox Marketing Mike Nichols also highlighted that Xbox Live engagement was up 21% in January compared to the same period a year ago:

“Thanks to continued support by our fans, 2017 is off to a strong start as Xbox One game hours grew 21 percent year-over-year. In addition, in the U.S., Xbox One had its best January to date and was the only eighth generation console that saw growth in January compared to the prior year according to NPD Group. Team Xbox is committed to delivering the best gaming experiences for our fans.”

February is expected to be another interesting month for the Xbox One with the upcoming launch of Halo Wars 2 on February 21. Last month, Microsoft also announced new Halo Wars 2 and Forza Horizon 3 Xbox One S bundles and we’ll see if this can make a difference in the US market.