The PlayStation 5 is an exceptional success, according to a new industry report. In fact, it has surpassed the Nintendo Switch for the most successful launch period in American gaming history.

While the PlayStation 5 console includes increased processing power as compared to previous console generations, most of Sony's advertising highlighted something else. In particular, Sony focused on drastically reduced loading times in upcoming games, thanks to the system's SSD (solid-state drive). In conjunction with first-party titles and timed console exclusivity deals for games such as Final Fantasy 16, Sony's advertising clearly hit the mark, leading to an ongoing shortage of PS5s worldwide that persists almost half a year after its release.

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Mat Piscatella, executive at market research firm NPD, released a range of statistics on Friday about a range of game and console sales. In particular, he noted that the PlayStation 5 has had the best 5-month launch window ever seen in the American market. While inflation normally makes comparisons with past generations challenging, the PS5 prevailed in both dollar and unit sales. This puts it above the Nintendo Switch as compared to that console five months into its lifespan, and suggests that the overwhelming demand for the PS5 won't go away anytime soon.

Of course, the Nintendo Switch is still selling superbly. The console has sold exceptionally well throughout the pandemic, driven by smash-hit life simulator Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In fact, Piscatella notes that the Nintendo Switch was the sales winner for March 2021 in both units and dollars, and had the most units sold during the first financial quarter of 2021. That said, since the PlayStation 5 costs substantially more than the Switch, the PS5 ended up having the greatest dollar sales for March.

The biggest competition for the PS5 might just be the PlayStation 4. Many of the high-profile games releasing for the PlayStation 5 in its first year will also release for the PlayStation 4, including upcoming open-world blockbuster Horizon: Forbidden West. Of course, Sony benefits from sales of PS4 games or PS5 games, and cross-generational games don't seem to be slowing down sales of the PS5 at all.

The PS5 sales results may come as a blow to Xbox fans, given the recent release of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. Still, there's no reason for fans to worry; while trailing behind the PlayStation 5, the new Xbox consoles seem to be selling well, roughly in line with the Xbox One during an equivalent time frame. Plus, Xbox has a number of exciting exclusives in the pipeline, including Halo InfiniteAvowed, and presumably some upcoming Bethesda games. It's quite impressive that the Xbox systems held their own despite a lack of first-party titles, meaning the systems could be poised for widespread adoption in the near future.

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