PlayStation 5 Leads US and UK Black Friday Console Sales

Sony's PlayStation 5 dominated console sales during the Black Friday period in both the United States and the United Kingdom, capturing nearly half of the market in the US and over 60 percent in the UK, according to market research firm Circana. The week ending November 29 saw Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S consoles trail far behind, accounting for just 10 to 15 percent of sales and even being outsold by the lesser-known NEX Playground, a motion-controlled gaming system aimed at families.

In the US, the PS5 led with 47 percent of total console unit sales, followed by Nintendo's newly released Switch 2 at 24 percent and the NEX Playground at 14 percent. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana noted that the PS5's strong performance stemmed from aggressive discounts, including bundles and price cuts of up to $100 on models like the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro, bringing average prices down to around $340 in some markets. The Switch 2, launched just months earlier, benefited from more modest promotions, such as $50 off bundles featuring games like Mario Kart World, which helped it secure second place despite its recent debut.

The NEX Playground, an Android-based device priced at...