Microsoft never divulges information about Xbox consoles sales. So, there are no official sales figures for the Xbox Series X and Series S. However, market research firm Ampere Analysis says that the company has sold over 18.5 million Xbox Series X|S units since launch just over two years ago.
Sony – Microsoft’s main gaming rival – does provide official sales data and its February earnings report put lifetime PlayStation 5 sales at 32 million units. So, it is clear that Sony is once again dominating Microsoft in the console market.
Of course, this is a carryover from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Sales of the Xbox One were always solid, with lifetime shipments at around 55 million. Although, Sony’s PS4 did much better with overall sales of over 115 million units to date.
It is interesting that Microsoft kept pace with Sony during the Xbox 365/PS3 generation. Both consoles sold around 85 million units. Since then, Sony has reverted to outselling Microsoft’s consoles by wide margins. It seems that is happening again in the ninth generation of video game consoles.
Challenging Market
Ampere Analysis analyst Piers Harding-Rolls says Microsoft and Sony weathered a “challenging” year in the console market. The massive demand and waitlists for the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S persisted. In fact, the market declined from $60.9 billion total revenue in 2021 to $56.9 billion in 2022.
Microsoft is currently trying to strengthen and grow its position in the gaming market. The company is seeking approval of its $69bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard. However, the company is facing pushback from regulators in the UK, EU, and USA. Moreover, Sony has been an open critic of the deal, which will see the hugely popular Call of Duty franchise come under Microsoft ownership.
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