Microsoft Can Thank Halo 5 For Helping Xbox One Outsell Rival PlayStation 4 In October

It’s sometimes difficult to believe that the strength and popularity of one gaming title can push a specific set of users to opt for one platform over the other. Granted, dedicated gamers are extremely passionate individuals, and more often than not often have a particular title or franchise that they enjoy more than most. But specifically opting for one device over another based on that strength of that title is a bold move. According to NPD data, subsequently shared by Microsoft, the software-giant company’s Xbox One has managed to outsell Sony’s PlayStation 4, with the assistance of the latest Halo 5: Guardians.

Xbox One is an extremely popular gaming platform across the world. That popularity is likely going to expand astronomically over the festive period thanks to Microsoft’s recent roll out of the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE) November update. However, in terms of overall popularity against Sony and the PlayStation 4, Microsoft’s Xbox One doesn’t really have the edge of bragging rights in terms of units sold on a general basis, but the data shows that that all changed during the month of October, primarily due to the the latest release in the Halo franchise.

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The latest in the expand franchise, Halo 5: Guardians, was by far and away the top-selling gaming title in the United States during October. There’s no real surprise there given the excitement around the game and the marketing push that has come attached to the release. However, it’s clearly evident that the popularity of Halo has convinced more consumers to purchase an Xbox One, resulting in 81-percent growth from the same period last year, as Xbox One Marketing lead Mike Nichols explains:

The strength of the greatest games lineup in Xbox history drove record Xbox Live usage for October and made Xbox One the best-selling console in the U.S. with 81 percent growth compared to October 2014. We saw amazing fan excitement, commercial success and critical acclaim in October for ‘Halo 5: Guardians,’ which was the best-selling game in the U.S.

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It’s also interesting to note that Microsoft puts a lot of the October successes of the Xbox One on the fact that the release of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller managed to resonate hugely with consumers. In fact, the controller is actually sold out in most retailers, which isn’t ideal considering we’re heading into one of the most lucrative shopping periods of the year for most companies.

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