Black Friday 2024 brought a fresh wave of competitive deals for video game hardware and software across the United Kingdom, the continent’s largest games market.
The annual sales event saw the leading console manufacturers—Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft—offering significant discounts through various retailers and digital storefronts, including the Nintendo eShop and official outlets for PlayStation and Xbox platforms. According to data compiled by industry analysts, Sony’s PlayStation 5 emerged as the clear leader in this year’s Black Friday console sales.
Thanks to aggressive pricing on both the standard and PS5 Pro models, Sony captured an impressive 62% share of the UK hardware market during the sales week.
This performance not only eclipsed the competition but also marked a 16% year-over-year increase in PlayStation 5 unit sales compared to Black Friday 2023—making it the only console in the region to achieve such growth. "The PlayStation 5 significantly boosted hardware sales in the UK during Black Friday, driving up both unit sales and overall console market revenue," stated a representative for the data analytics firm monitoring the event.
The surge in PlayStation 5 sales contributed to a 14% increase in hardware revenue compared to the previous year, while total unit sales rose by 7%. Nintendo maintained a strong presence in the UK market with the Nintendo Switch 2, which secured 23% of all console sales during the same week.
While not matching Sony’s headline growth, the Switch 2 performed solidly amid its ongoing popularity and continued support through major titles and Nintendo Direct presentations.
The original Nintendo Switch also made a showing, accounting for 5% of UK console sales, reflective of its established user base and appeal as a family-friendly gaming option. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles rounded out the competition, claiming 10% of Black Friday sales.
Despite trailing behind its counterparts, the Xbox brand remains a key player in the hardware market, supported by features such as Game Pass and cross-platform accessibility. On the software front, the clear bestsellers in the UK games market were "Hogwarts Legacy" and "EA Sports FC 26," both of which saw significant upticks in sales and rankings at major UK retailers. In summary, Black Friday 2024 reinforced Sony’s leadership in the premium gaming hardware sector with record-breaking PlayStation 5 sales, while Nintendo’s Switch 2 upheld strong momentum and the Xbox Series X|S remained competitive.
The event underscores evolving trends in consumer hardware preferences and highlights the resilience and adaptive strategies of leading console manufacturers within the UK’s dynamic gaming landscape.
The annual sales event saw the leading console manufacturers—Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft—offering significant discounts through various retailers and digital storefronts, including the Nintendo eShop and official outlets for PlayStation and Xbox platforms. According to data compiled by industry analysts, Sony’s PlayStation 5 emerged as the clear leader in this year’s Black Friday console sales.
Thanks to aggressive pricing on both the standard and PS5 Pro models, Sony captured an impressive 62% share of the UK hardware market during the sales week.
This performance not only eclipsed the competition but also marked a 16% year-over-year increase in PlayStation 5 unit sales compared to Black Friday 2023—making it the only console in the region to achieve such growth. "The PlayStation 5 significantly boosted hardware sales in the UK during Black Friday, driving up both unit sales and overall console market revenue," stated a representative for the data analytics firm monitoring the event.
The surge in PlayStation 5 sales contributed to a 14% increase in hardware revenue compared to the previous year, while total unit sales rose by 7%. Nintendo maintained a strong presence in the UK market with the Nintendo Switch 2, which secured 23% of all console sales during the same week.
While not matching Sony’s headline growth, the Switch 2 performed solidly amid its ongoing popularity and continued support through major titles and Nintendo Direct presentations.
The original Nintendo Switch also made a showing, accounting for 5% of UK console sales, reflective of its established user base and appeal as a family-friendly gaming option. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles rounded out the competition, claiming 10% of Black Friday sales.
Despite trailing behind its counterparts, the Xbox brand remains a key player in the hardware market, supported by features such as Game Pass and cross-platform accessibility. On the software front, the clear bestsellers in the UK games market were "Hogwarts Legacy" and "EA Sports FC 26," both of which saw significant upticks in sales and rankings at major UK retailers. In summary, Black Friday 2024 reinforced Sony’s leadership in the premium gaming hardware sector with record-breaking PlayStation 5 sales, while Nintendo’s Switch 2 upheld strong momentum and the Xbox Series X|S remained competitive.
The event underscores evolving trends in consumer hardware preferences and highlights the resilience and adaptive strategies of leading console manufacturers within the UK’s dynamic gaming landscape.
