Xbox One vs. PS4 Release Date, Specs, News: Microsoft Sales Match Sony, Both Systems Out of Stock
Microsoft's Xbox One debuted on Friday and is flying off the shelves just like Sony's PlayStation 4.
In less than a day, over 1 million Xbox One video game consoles were sold in the 13 countries in which Microsoft launched the system, Bloomberg reports. Eight additional countries were originally scheduled to see the debut of the Xbox One on Friday but did not due to production issues.
"Xbox One is now sold out at most retailers," Microsoft said in a release. "We are working to replenish stock as fast as possible to meet the unprecedented demand from our customers."
Gamers in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States helped the Xbox One set a record for Microsoft. The new system also bested first-day sales for the console's predecessor, the Xbox 360.
Xbox One's biggest competitor, the PS4, was released on Nov. 15 with similar results. According to Sony, the system sold over 1 million units within its first 24 hours on Canada and the United States' shelves, including pre-orders. Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, said he expects to sell five million units by March 2014. Starting Nov. 29, the system will be available in 30 countries in Europe and Latin America. The PS4 will be available in Japan on Feb. 22.
Both the Xbox One and PS4 are expected to sell 3 million units by the end of December.
"We are working hard to create more Xbox One consoles and look forward to fulfilling holiday gift wishes this season," Yusuf Mehdi, a marketing and strategy executive at Xbox, said.
GameStop, the biggest video game specialty retailer, is already out of stock of both the Xbox One and PS4.
"We expect that the launches of Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony PS4 will continue to fuel consumer excitement and spending for games heading into the holiday season," NPD Group, a market researcher, said in a statement.