Xbox One wins September NPD, giving Microsoft three consecutive months in the top spot

Xbox One is still out-performing PS4, which is a grand return on Microsoft's refocused efforts.

September NPD 2016
Xbox One beat PS4 for the third consecutive month.

Full NPD report will drop next week. No idea why Microsoft gets to announce early all the time now.

Compare month-on-month: August 2016

Compare year-on-year: September 2015

Xbox One was the best selling console at US retail last month according to the NPD Group's September 2016 report, Microsoft has announced.

It's the third month in a row Microsoft and the Xbox One have beat back Sony's PS4, after an almost unbroken two and a half year dominance by the Japanese giant in Microsoft's traditional best territory.

Microsoft said it also took the number one spot in the UK in September 2016, drawing on Gfk Entertainment's data, and that Xbox One was the only console to show year-on-year growth in the US, the UK, Australia and other territories during September 2016.

It's not hard to see why Xbox One is suddenly holding its own again – the original model Xbox One is cheaper than ever, and the Xbox One S is a very nice hardware refresh.

After so long in distant second place it'll probably be quite some time before the Xbox One install base can challenge the PS4, but remember that PS3 and Xbox 360 ended up neck and neck after the PS3's rubbish start last generation, so it's certainly possible – even with the PS4 Slim's release late in September and the upcoming PS4 Pro.

Microsoft said Forza Horizon 3 was the best-selling first-party Xbox One game in the US, UK and Australia for September 2016, but this rather carefully hedged stat is all we have for you in terms of software sales today; stay tuned for the full NPD report later in the month. We'll update his page once we have it.