Sony and Nintendo, the heads of video gaming in Japan, are closing out 2020 with some incredibly strong sales figures. In Sony’s case, the PS5 was the biggest console launch ever, beating out the previous record held by the PS4 from November 2013.
In a similar vein, the Nintendo Switch continues to sell extremely well, even for Nintendo’s standards, consistently selling thousands upon thousands of units every month. Now, Bloomberg reports that Sony and Nintendo’s stock shares have skyrocketed over the past week thanks to the huge success both companies are experiencing.
Both companies have seen massive success over 2020, but even more so in the past few months. Sony and Microsoft launched their next-generation consoles in November, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S respectively, each selling well throughout the month. However, the PS5 reportedly sold twice as much as the Xbox Series X/S, giving Sony a slight edge at the beginning of the next generation of consoles. The Switch has kept up the pace too, not faltering in sales when faced with the enhanced hardware of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
In fact, the Nintendo Switch outsold the PS5 in November, despite the massive amount of interest and hype surrounding Sony’s newest console. Naturally, those invested in the stock market took notice of that interest, causing both companies to rise to their highest stock prices since Nintendo launched the Wii back in 2007 and Sony launched the PS2 back in 2000. Reportedly, Nintendo’s stock price rose by 6.6 percent, reaching around ¥67,850, or $647.97, per share. Meanwhile, Sony’s stock rose 2.66 percent reaching ¥10,025, or $95.67, per share.
Needless to say, both of these Japanese companies are doing remarkably well as 2020 nears its end. The PS5 was far and away Sony’s biggest console launch ever, despite launching amid a global pandemic. While Sony faced multiple challenges in the leadup to the PS5’s launch, the company was able to launch the PS5 within the year. Of course, the PS5 faced incredible demand throughout November and is still hard to secure leading into the holiday season. In some ways, it seems the global pandemic helped Sony sell PS5 consoles, as consumers around the world are hungry for new experiences while stuck at home.
Nintendo, on the other hand, has been seeing amazing success throughout all of 2020. The launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March was a huge success for Nintendo, moving a staggering number of Switch consoles. The Switch is doing so well that it's on course to have the most successful year for a console since 2010. Despite lagging behind in terms of raw power and enhanced technology, the Switch continues to outpace both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S early on. Hopefully, these two Japanese gaming titans continue to see success in the following year, as well.
Source: Bloomberg