These Are the Most Popular Game Consoles in Every State

In 1977, the rise of the Atari 2600 sparked a war that rages on across the United States today. In a single uninterrupted battle for supremacy of the living room, the console wars have given gamers such legendary installments as the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation 2 and such cautionary tales as the Nokia N-Gage and the Ouya. Today we bring you an in-depth look at the present state of the ongoing campaign. Thanks to a study conducted by Spades Challenge, we now have in-depth internet search data to show which consoles are most popular in the US today, broken down state-by-state. So let’s take a look. The State of Play Though there are dozens of excellent home video game consoles to consider historically, what we are looking at today are the most prominent parties of the present eighth and ninth console generations. When it comes to current popularity and player base, it should come as no surprise that we are mainly discussing the latest machines from the three juggernauts who have ruled the home console market for over 20 years: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Sony PlayStation 5 The first four PlayStation consoles rank as the 6th, 1st, 8th, and 4th best-selling consoles of all time. The PlayStation 5, though still climbing to the high-water mark of its predecessors in terms of sales, is currently the most dominant console in the US, holding the lead for search popularity in 21 states. The consistent difficulty of buying a PS5 is a testament to its popularity. Even now, nearly two years after the console’s launch, any given PS5 owner is likely to have war stories of the lengths to which they went to acquire theirs. Microsoft Xbox Series X Sony’s primary rival of the last four console generations, Microsoft, takes a narrow second place in the current quest for console popularity. Its latest console, the Xbox Series X, leads searches in 19 states. Although Microsoft has long been a dominant presence in PC gaming, its console brand is the youngest of the three currently vying for the market. It first entered the scene with the original Xbox in 2001. Xbox machines consistently trail their peer consoles in overall sales numbers but not in loyal popularity. To wit, the series has held many consistent fans across the generations. PC gamers also appreciate the synergy between Xbox consoles and Windows gaming, such as compatible peripheral hardware and the Xbox Game Pass. Nintendo Switch While Sony and Microsoft compete in an ever-escalating arms race for the best hardware performance, stunning visuals, and exclusive big-ticket franchises, Nintendo carves its path. For the last four console generations and arguably longer, it has prioritized experimental gameplay interfaces, accessibility to players of all ages and skill levels, and titles featuring its large stable of fan-favorite characters and worlds. This creative approach to the problem has often paid off for Nintendo in a big way. Half of the top 20 best-selling consoles of all time carry the Nintendo brand. Its latest system is the Nintendo Switch, currently the third-most-popular console in the US, earning #1 in 10 states. The oldest of the current top-three systems, the Switch has outsold each of its two primary competitors by a rate of more than five to one. What Is the Most Popular Game Console in Every State?