The PlayStation 5 is outselling the Nintendo Switch in the UK, making it the best-selling console of the year so far in the region. The UK had to wait longer than North America to be able to buy the PS5, but that did little to diminish the region's enthusiasm for Sony's new system.
Like the rest of the world, the UK also faced PS5 stock shortages at launch. This issue was exacerbated by scalpers, who bought up stock as soon as it became available. These are still problems that global consumers face when buying a PS5 in 2021, and the stock issues don't seem to be ending anytime soon. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launched during a pandemic, with fierce competition for components making it hard to produce new systems. As such, new console demand is going to outstrip supply for a long time, and it might be a while before people can walk into a store and buy a new PS5 at retail price without having to jump through hoops.
While it's difficult to find a PlayStation 5 for a reasonable price at the moment, that's done little to slow the console's sales in the UK. According to GameIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring on Twitter, a recent PS5 restock has resulted in Sony's new system beating the long-domineering Nintendo Switch in the UK, making the PS5 the country's best-selling system of 2021 currently.
It's not just the PS5 that Nintendo needs to worry about, as the Xbox Series X/S is also catching up to the Switch. Sony's and Microsoft's ninth-generation consoles had a rocky (albeit record-breaking) launch due to COVID-19, but growingly steady adoption is driving sales. The new system's hardware and performance are a huge draw, with game load times practically eliminated thanks to the power of their internal SSDs (solid-state drives). The difference is best highlighted when going from the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S to the Switch, as its miniaturized and lower-tech hardware becomes more apparent. Its handheld factor, however, does make that disparity easier to forgive for many.
Nintendo isn't down for the count just yet, though. The rumors surrounding the Nintendo Switch Pro, an enhanced version of the Switch that can reportedly run games at 4K resolutions, have been heating up in recent months. An upgraded model could be what Nintendo needs to remain competitive for the next few years of the Switch's remaining lifespan, as it can somewhat close the widening hardware gap. The PlayStation 5 might have taken the lead over Nintendo in the UK, but the 2021's far from over and the latest console war is still just getting started.
Source: Christopher Dring/Twitter