Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox One Can’t Beat Sony PlayStation 4, Backwards Compatibility Or Not

The PS4 continues to dominate the Xbox One, despite the latter receiving good press lately and a better lineup of exclusives this year

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 4 dominated Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox One, in July. According to GameSpot, the NPD report says that PS4 experienced better sales than Xbox One. The success can be attributed to sales of "Batman: Arkham Knight", which performed much better on PS4 than Xbox One. This phenomena isn’t new. Historically, multi-platform titles have performed better on the PS4.



This goes way back to the launch of PS4, where it came with average exclusive titles but solid multi-platformer. Although, the same games were released on Xbox One, they did not sell as much as it did on the PS4. That could be attributed to the shoddy Xbox One reveal earlier in 2013. In 2014, Xbox One still had better exclusives, but PS4 persisted on the strength of the multi-platinum titles.

2015 seems no different, as games such as "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" and Batman: Arkham Knight, found better success with Sony. According to GameSpot, April 2015 was the only month when the Xbox One outsold the PS4. Microsoft recently made a landmark announcement of backwards compatibility on the Xbox One that would allow it to play Xbox 360 titles. So even with the power of two, Sony remained defiant.


Things may change a little this year, as Microsoft’s exclusives "Forza Motorsport 6", "Halo 5: Guardians", "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition", and "Fable Legends" all look very promising. The return of Gears of War and Halo can really push more Xbox One sales, and a different picture may emerge in the coming months. That being said, the PS4 will continue to rely on multi-platform titles, including the upcoming "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain", "Call of Duty: Black Ops III", and "FIFA 16". Until "Dawn", a PS4 exclusive releasing this month, is looking like a hit already and goes up against the Xbox One’s Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.

While gamers on both the Xbox One and PS4 have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, the latter still continues to sell more. Whether sales matter to gamers or not, it shows that the majority prefers PS4, over Xbox One. Both consoles will benefit with excellent games and in the end, that’s all we want.