Massive Sales Surge: Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S Numbers Reignite Gaming Industry
Microsoft finally breaks its silence on Xbox sales figures after years of secrecy, unveiling the impressive lifetime sales numbers for both the Xbox Series X and S consoles Discover the astonishing sales figures achieved by Microsoft's latest console generations
At a June gaming festival in Latin America, Microsoft surprised many by sharing the sales figures of both the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. This unexpected move came after Xbox Head Phil Spencer had previously downplayed the significance of console sales as recently as May 2023. Microsoft, based in Washington, had ceased reporting their quarterly console sales numbers in October 2015, following the subpar launch of the Xbox One. Given that Microsoft recently acknowledged losing the console wars, the resumption of this reporting practice was met with limited anticipation.
Lifetime Xbox Console Sales Numbers in June 2023
Microsoft has taken a different approach in sharing its latest financial figures by announcing them at the 2023 Best International Games (BIG) Festival in Brazil. The tech giant, although not revealing specific hardware sales, disclosed that the Xbox Series X and Series S have reached an impressive milestone of over 21 million units sold. Additionally, when combined with the previous two generations, Microsoft has achieved a total of more than 79 million console sales. As a result, the Xbox One sales have reached approximately 58 million as of June 2023.Xbox Series X/S: 21 million
Xbox One: 58 million
Microsoft's decision to publicize its hardware sales marks a significant departure from its usual practice of keeping these numbers private for the past eight years. However, the figures themselves come as no surprise, as they align closely with the latest unofficial estimates. For instance, VGC reported that the Xbox Series X/S achieved sales of 20 million units by March 2023. The official data further highlights Microsoft's ability to sustain its hardware momentum from 2022, a year in which the company proclaimed its highest sales ever for Xbox.
Nevertheless, the combined sales of 21 million units for the Xbox Series X/S within their first three years on the market, while notable, pale in comparison to the extraordinary numbers reported by Sony for the PlayStation 5 in Q1 2023. Furthermore, the newly disclosed figures also underscore that for every Xbox One that found an owner by mid-2023, Sony and Nintendo sold a little over two units of the PS4 and Switch, respectively.
This reinforces Microsoft's earlier statement that Xbox lost the competition in the console market, which may explain why the company chose to reveal its hardware sales figures. Specifically, Microsoft's honesty about lagging behind its Japanese competitors plays a significant role in justifying the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Currently, the $68.7 billion deal is encountering regulatory challenges from both the US and Europe, but Microsoft argues that completing the transaction will aid in narrowing the gap with Sony and Nintendo.
