Sony has continued its sales lead over Xbox One according to the latest NPD numbers, though Nintendo has posted the largest gains for the last month.
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Sony led both hardware and software sales once again according to NPD's March report (measuring March 1 to April 1), on the backs of strong new releases.
Exclusives Bloodborne and MLB 15: The Show sold well on PS4, helping push the console to the top of the charts alongside multiplatform titles. Battlefield Hardline topped the charts overall, followed by Bloodborne, Grand Theft Auto V, Mario Party 10, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in the top five.
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"We are truly honored PlayStation 4 is the top selling console and #1 in software sales again according to NPD sales data for March 2015," a Sony said in a statement. "PS4 remains the cumulative sales leader both globally and in the United States and we want to thank gamers worldwide for their ongoing support."
In truth, though, console sales in general are better than what they were during this time in the PS3 and Xbox 360 lifespans. NPD says the sales during the first 17 months for the new consoles is up 50 percent compared to the last generation's first 17 months--quite an increase. This last month actually saw a nine percent decrease in hardware sales overall, but the market is still selling more than it was last generation. The Xbox One has only recently outsold the PS4 in November and December 2014, which was largely due to holiday price drops and bundle deals.
Nintendo increased its year-over-year hardware sales by 60 percent, the report says, and the release of the New 3DS has helped boost numbers. The 3DS, 2DS, and New 3DS sales have boosted Nintendo hardware numbers about 80 percent compared to the first several months of 2014.