A recent study by an online gaming site has revealed the most-searched latest-generation consoles across 47 countries. The study compared Google search results for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, with results that appear to be consistent with sales figures for the three consoles.
As the decades-long struggle for domination over the highly lucrative game console market continues among the "big three" companies, Microsoft's Xbox Series X, Sony's PlayStation 5, and Nintendo's hybrid handheld Switch console have each achieved popularity to varying degrees throughout the world. All three consoles benefit from hosting the exclusive releases of several bestselling franchises such as Xbox's Halo series, the majority of Final Fantasy games for Sony's PlayStation, and Nintendo's Mario and Zelda franchises, to name a few.
Gaming site Cribbage Challenge, which hosts online cribbage matches against AI opponents, took an interest in the popularity of the major consoles throughout 47 European countries. The study used Google Trends to compare search numbers for the consoles in each country over the past 12 months, a fairly straightforward method for measuring public interest in particular topics over time. The study showed that the Nintendo Switch was the most-searched console, topping the results in 24 countries including France, Spain, and the Netherlands. PlayStation 5 followed close behind leading in popularity in 20 countries, including Germany and Norway. Despite Xbox Series X beating PS5 sales in the last three quarters, Microsoft's console trailed far behind only coming out on top in only 3 countries: Hungary, Kosovo, and the UK.
These results are mostly consistent with the sales numbers of each console, although the Nintendo Switch also possesses a time advantage due to having been around for several more years than the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Nintendo Switch has sold a respectable 108 million units since 2017, while its most popular title, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has sold over 46 million copies alone. The PlayStation 5 has sold over 20 million units since its 2020 release despite its notorious stock shortages and 44% decline in European sales during 2022's first half. As reflected in the search data, The Xbox Series X takes last place with around 15 million units sold since 2020.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have both been taking longer than usual for a new console generation to catch on, possibly due to the fact that the vast majority of games released since their inception have been compatible with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which takes away from the urgency of upgrading to the latest console. Rampant PS5 and Series X stock shortages along with a devastating pandemic are also likely contributors to this slow pace of adoption.
Source: Cribbage Challenge