Xbox One Overtakes PS4 on Amazon: Will This Last?

Microsoft’s U-turn on Xbox One digital rights management policies seems to be paying off, as the console is back on track ahead of its main rival, PlayStation 4 from Sony.

Just a few hours after Microsoft gave up their controversial policies, acting on the public’s negative feedback, Xbox One overtook PlayStation 4 in the video games best selling charts on Amazon UK.

The $500 Xbox One was first in pre-orders, followed by PlayStation 3 title The Last of Us and by the PS4 on third. Before the DRM policy announcement, the PS4 was ahead in the charts, capitalizing on its E3 2013 success and its $100 lower price tag.

Consumers were not put off by the price as much as they were by the Xbox One’s restrictions on used games and Internet connection requirements. Sony distanced themselves from such practices from the very beginning, insisting that their console would not need to do check in regularly online in order to work or restrict used games.

And the change of mind may have brought Xbox One back in business and ahead of its rival, but analysts believe Sony still has the upper hand and will pull ahead of Microsoft significantly in 2014.

An Ascendiant Capital Markets senior analyst, Edward Woo, told Edge magazine that he expects both PS4 and Xbox One to sell 2m units each this year, but that he thinks Sony will sell 10m consoles in 2014, twice as many as Microsoft.

The DRM policy overhaul means that the fight between consoles will now focus on exclusive game content and pricing. Xbox has an impressive line-up of exclusive content, but most of its extra features are geared towards the U.S. market, which may lead to lower sales worldwide.

The PlayStation, on the other hand, has a more solid global fanbase and the PS4 $400 price tag is likely to ultimately give it the upper hand, analysts believe.

What do you think? Will Xbox One manage to stay ahead of the PS4?

[Image via Extremetech]