Editor's Note: Due to the controversial nature of this article and the sourcing, I want to go on record as saying that the information provided here is 100% accurate and not something rumored. These are the facts for the November NPD figures and they have been vetted. -DR
NPD Group analyses and tracks console sales in the US month by month, and while it was widely reported Sony's PlayStation 4 won November, hard sales figures have been difficult to lock down. Until now!
Our trusted source informed us that Microsoft shifted 1 million Xbox One units during November, which enjoyed some steep Black Friday discounts. Sony launched the beefed up PS4 Pro during this month, yet the PlayStation family only managed to outpace the Xbox One by 100,000 units at 1.1 million. Additionally, PlayStation VR which now competes with Windows-based VR solutions managed to sell roughly 68,000 units in the same month.
The fact Xbox is still pacing closely to PlayStation despite the launch of the more powerful PS4 Pro is quite impressive. The Xbox One S enjoyed various new bundles to entice consumers, and it looks as though Microsoft did well to head off competition from PlayStation. The interest in the incrementally more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro also bodes well for Microsoft's next Xbox — Project Scorpio — which will land in 2017 with a significant raw power advantage.
Soon, Microsoft and Sony will compete head to head in the VR space as well, following the reveal of the minimum specs required for new Windows 10-based VR solutions coming in 2017. It's unknown how VR will manifest on Project Scorpio, which is touted to provide "high-fidelity" VR experiences, but we'll no doubt learn more at E3 2017 next summer.
Both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are looking forward to a stellar holiday season either way, and it will be interesting to see whether Xbox One can pull ahead again in December.
Best December deals for the Xbox One S
