Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Obliterates ‘PlayStation killer’ Starfield With Record Sales

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was billed as the hype game for PlayStation players this year. It is viewed by many as the natural contender to Xbox’s own Starfield. With the ongoing console wars between the two giants of the industry, this veritable clash of the titans could be over before it has even begun.

Both games have been subject to massive hype before launch, and no doubt either side thought that its title would be the most prolific when released. Unfortunately for Microsoft, who always look to be getting one over on its rivals, Starfield looks like it can’t compete with one of the most popular comic book characters of all time.

Just How Well Is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Faring Against Starfield?

To say that the demand for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has been intense might be something of an understatement. The PlayStation Studios exclusive has been confirmed to be the fastest-selling game in the company’s history, and there has also been confirmation that in the first 24 hours of sales, the game shifted an astounding 2.5 million copies.

While some of the reports for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may have been about how buggy the game is and the issues players have experienced, there is no detracting from the commercial success of the title. Sony will no doubt be delighted by how well the game is performing in terms of market sales and will be sitting back with a smug grin on its face.

Although the sales numbers for Microsoft’s Starfield are hard to pin down, according to European sales for launch week 2023, the game only managed to come in fifth. What was billed as an epic space exploration adventure was outsold by Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo 4, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The reason it may be difficult to access these Starfield figures could be due to the number of players who had early access to the title, but given how massively hyped the game was, it is slightly surprising to see it sitting mid-table in a list of the top ten titles on launch week.

It was reported at the time of launch that Starfield managed to have one million concurrent players over PC and Xbox, and that was said to include those players with GamePass as well. Given that Sony is recording sales of 2.5 million games in the first 24 hours of launch, it just goes to emphasise how many PlayStation fans were eager to get their hands on the title.

What may be even more of a kicker for Microsoft is that sales for Starfield have taken a dramatic downturn, according to Steam. The Bethesda title has plummeted in the Steam storefront to number 50, with Elder Scrolls Online and, surprisingly, Fallout 76 sitting at 24 and 38, respectively.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does indeed look like the real deal, and following PlayStation’s official confirmation of sales, the comments that followed on social media from fans were full of praise and how people felt that this was their game of the year.

It may be no surprise to some that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the fastest-selling title in the company’s history. Given how well-received the original Spider-Man game was and also the subsequent Miles Morales spin-off, it was inevitable that this would see the latest title being much sought after.

While both titles may not have been polished articles upon launch, it is clear that the pull of a Marvel superhero has provided Sony with the edge over its nearest rival. However, it will be interesting to gauge how the sales of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Starfield continue in the run-up to the close of the year, given that both titles are being discussed as Game of the Year contenders.

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