Entertainment rental and retail outlet Blockbuster has reported a “huge spike” in PlayStation 4 pre-orders since Sony took to the stage at the E3 in Los Angeles on Monday to show off the full hardware and line-up of impressive games we can expect not only from release day but also heading into 2014.
On Monday, before either of the leading two console makers arrived at E3, online department store Amazon suggested the race for sales was too close to call, but that Microsoft was slightly leading the charge with just 2.4% more pre-orders taken. However, all this changed when Sony made its impressive presentation which included the full reveal of the PS4 in its finished form with the previously unseen console hardware making a public debut.
Sony also announced a PlayStation 4 price tag of £349/$399 – a significant price undercut on Microsoft’s Xbox One which will retail at £429/$499 when both are released towards the end of the year. The appealing price and the no restrictions on use of pre-owned games has been a key factor in the PS4 winning over many gamers and suddenly changing the pre-order landscape.
Despite the surge in early PS4 purchases, Blockbuster believes both Sony and Microsoft’s next gen consoles will find a place on the market and in a statement to games news source VG247 the company says; “In the wake of Xbox One’s record-breaking pre-order success at Blockbuster last month, the PS4 has received the same incredibly positive reaction, proving that the gaming industry is booming” adding “We are absolutely thrilled with the amazing response to our pre-order service for both the PS4 and Xbox One.”
We’d like to know who won stage one of the console battle for you and after reading our E3 coverage will you be giving your money to Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo this Christmas?
You can find out exactly what you can expect in the PlayStation 4 package as well as tech specs in our “What’s in the Box?” article.