Black Friday Surprise: Xbox Outsold by a Sneaky New Console!
In a plot twist that nobody saw coming—except maybe a psychic octopus—Xbox hardware found itself trailing in the sales race during Black Friday week in the US. Yes, that’s right, a little-known console that most folks won’t recognize came in fourth, leaving Xbox feeling a bit like that kid who gets picked last in gym class. Introduce the Nex Playground, a family-centric console that managed to nab a surprising 14% of the market share in the week ending November 29. Spoiler alert: it might be time for Xbox to reevaluate its life choices.
All Bow to the PlayStation: King of Black Friday
While Xbox hunched in a corner wondering where it all went wrong, the PlayStation 5 strutted into Black Friday week like it owned the place, claiming a whopping 47% share of hardware sales. Not content with just mediocre dominance, the Nintendo Switch 2 sashayed in next with a respectable 24%. Poor Xbox limped in with less than 14%, which, one could argue, is not much of a showcase for one of the more recognized gaming brands—talk about being overshadowed.
The Underdog: Meet the Nex Playground
Now, about that Nex Playground—it’s an Android-powered console that rolled out onto the scene in 2023. With a motion camera reminiscent of Microsoft’s former glory, the infamous Kinect, it serves up family games like Fruit Ninja instead of the usual adrenaline-fueled blockbusters. Retailing for $250—though often seen dangling flirtatiously below $200 during sales—it’s a fresh breath of air in a market where others seem content to huff and puff with technical specs. This console’s unique strategy of embracing “dated hardware” is a laugh riot wrapped in genius, as journalist Rob Fahey noted. Talk about keeping things simple!
Beneath the radar, the Playground has been royal enough to outsell the PlayStation 5 in the week prior to Black Friday. Who needs mainstream focus when you can rattle the industry by tapping into that cozy niche of family-friendly gaming?
The UK: The Land of the Price Drops
Meanwhile, the UK was the land of ample discounts and console turf wars. The PS5 exploded with a dramatic 62% share, leaving Xbox struggling to breathe in the background with just 10% against its competitors. The Nintendo Switch 2? It took a solid 23% share, reminding everyone that it still knows how to party.
In good ol’ Britain, savvy shoppers were treated to price drops that sent the standard PS5 price tumbling down by 21% compared to just two weeks earlier. The digital version was practically a steal at 34% off. The PS5 Pro had its moment, too, clinching its best week besides launch, earning rave reviews courtesy of NielsenIQ. Could this be the resurgence of console wars, or simply a field day for discount lovers?
Is the Playground Just Getting Started?
If nothing else, the Nex Playground is an interesting case study in the gaming market—taking huge leaps while others fumble through trying to figure out what audiences want. It championed a family-gaming philosophy that most big players either forgot or threw away like last year’s holiday fruitcake. Whatever the future holds, maybe it’s time for the giants to pay a little more attention to the quirky challenger at the playground.
So, let this be a formal invitation to Xbox and others to wake up and smell the game controllers—because in the age of competitive consoles, the gaming playground just got a whole lot more interesting!
