The PS5 crushed Black Friday, accounting for more than half of all console sales

• Sony was the big winner in terms of sales this Black Friday
• The PS5 outsold both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox systems thanks to strong discounts
• The Xbox consoles were even beaten by an obscure family gaming machine

If you were keeping an eye on the console deals this Black Friday, then it will likely come as no surprise that the PlayStation 5 was the best selling console of the sales event in the US and the UK.

According to data from Circana, the PS5 accounted for 47% of console sales in the US - that's almost double the share of the Nintendo Switch 2 (which sat at 23%) and over four times that of Xbox (just 10%).

In short, the period was a big win for Sony and a disastrous showing for Microsoft. Even an obscure system called the Nex Playground was more popular than the Xbox Series X and Series S, accounting for 14% of sales.

Designed for families, the Nex Playground is cube-shaped device that's billed as an 'active playground' rather than a traditional gaming console. It costs $249.99 and comes with five games out of the box including Fruit Ninja.

Players control the Nex Playground via motion control, captured by a camera on its front.

It was a similar story in the UK, where GSD reports that the PS5 had a 62% share of the market for the week. The Nintendo Switch 2 came in at 23% while the Xbox systems were just 10% of sales.

The reasons for this seem simple: the PS5 received by far the best discounts in both regions for Black Friday. Discounted bundles made it a highly tempting option in the US, and the PS5 Slim Digital Edition fell to an incredible record low price in the UK.

The Nintendo Switch 2 received a few discounts too, though they were much more restrained - unsurprising given the console's recent release.

It was almost impossible to find savings on the Xbox systems, in contrast, which presumably pushed consumers towards the alternatives offered by Sony and Nintendo.

The best gaming consoles

➡️ Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles
1. Best overall:
PlayStation 5 Slim
2. Best budget:
Xbox Series S
3. Best handheld:
Nintendo Switch 2
4. Most powerful:
PlayStation 5 Pro

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