The Surprising Truth: Why Console Sales Fail to Capture the True Triumphs of Xbox
Xbox chief Phil Spencer emphasizes a broader perspective in assessing Xbox's triumph, emphasizing that console sales figures alone do not define their success
Highlights
Xbox's success is not solely measured by console sales, but by the number of people playing and the amount of time they spend in the Xbox ecosystem.
Xbox's Play Anywhere program enables gamers to enjoy digital games on both PC and Xbox, making gaming more convenient and accessible. Sony, too, recognizes the significance of a varied gaming ecosystem, evidenced by the release of its handheld PlayStation Portal and expansion into the PC market.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has reiterated that the success of Xbox is not solely based on console sales. In recent years, it has become evident that Xbox's strategy goes beyond the number of consoles sold. This was exemplified in 2016 with the introduction of the Play Anywhere initiative, enabling gamers to purchase a digital title for PC or Xbox and play it on either platform.
Concerns arose about Microsoft's ability to compete in the gaming hardware market when owning a console was no longer a requirement to play Xbox games. Sales figures, with PS5 consistently outperforming Xbox Series consoles, have been used as evidence that Sony's gaming ecosystem is more popular or successful than Microsoft's.
Phil Spencer discussed Microsoft's vision for the Xbox brand during various interviews at Gamescom 2023. According to Spencer, the key measure of success is the number of people playing and the amount of time they spend playing. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Xbox reported its highest ever monthly active user numbers, impressive sales, and a 22% increase in the number of hours spent playing through Xbox Game Pass.
The focus is not on a specific gaming platform, but rather on the overall Xbox ecosystem and the time gamers invest in it. As part of the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, even gamers without an Xbox console can enjoy Bethesda's upcoming space-based RPG, Starfield, on their PC or through Game Pass Ultimate on their smart TV or mobile device. Spencer mentioned that he personally played Xbox games on his Asus ROG Ally, a third-party portable gaming system, during his flight to Gamescom. He referred to it as his "Xbox away from home" or "Steam Deck," emphasizing his desire for these devices to offer a seamless and complete Xbox experience, similar to the hardware Microsoft develops.
Sony is recognizing the significance of creating a gaming ecosystem that is not confined to a few consoles that become outdated at the end of each generation. The company from Japan is venturing back into the handheld gaming market with its PlayStation Portal handheld device and has also been expanding its presence on the PC platform in recent years. The PS3, PS4, and PS5 possess a feature reminiscent of Xbox's Play Anywhere called Remote Play, which enables the console to stream a game's audio and video to another device. Initially limited to the PSP or Vita, this functionality now includes Android devices and PCs.
