The Xbox Series X|S, a fourth generation of Xbox video game consoles that Microsoft released in November 2020 to cater not only to those seeking greater performance (X), but also those on a stricter budget (S), has sold 28.3 million units since their launch nearly four years ago, while the PlayStation 5, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PS4 successor, has sold 61.7 million units since its launch in November 2020, according to a new report that explains how Xbox, despite having “lost the console war,” is now “redefining gaming” with services that include Xbox Game Pass. The closest that Microsoft came to beating Sony was in the seventh generation of home video game consoles, with the Xbox 360 (2005) hitting 84.9 million units sold vs. the PS3’s (2006) 87.4 million.
Global lifetime hardware sales of current-gen Xbox and PS consoles, per WSJ:
- PlayStation 5: 61.7 million
- Xbox Series X|S: 28.3 million
The sales visualized, going back to the PS2/Xbox generation:
The full word from the WSJ:
WSJ writes:
Xbox lost the console war to Nintendo and Sony’s PlayStation, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the fight. A few years ago, Microsoft launched Game Pass, a subscription service that lets users play Xbox games on devices other than its namesake console. Now, other major tech companies like Nvidia and Amazon are jumping into the subscription gaming world.