While Microsoft no longer officially reports sales figures for the Xbox Series X|S, industry analysts and reports continue to provide estimates. According to the latest insights shared by the Wall Street Journal, we can still get a sense of the console’s performance in the market.
As of June 2024, Xbox Series X | S has sold approximately 28.3 million units. This figure is significantly behind Sony’s PlayStation 5, which has already sold 61.7 million units globally, based on official data. These numbers clearly indicate that Microsoft has fallen behind in this generation’s console race, with the PS5 outperforming its competitor more than twofold.
Historically, Xbox and PlayStation sales were more evenly matched. In the era of the Xbox 360 and PS3, the two companies sold a similar number of consoles, with Sony leading by just a small margin: 87.4 million PS3 units versus 84.9 million Xbox 360 units. However, with the introduction of the PS4 and Xbox One, a gap began to form, and this trend has continued with the current generation.
Despite the sales figures, Microsoft is focusing on a different strategy to remain relevant in the gaming space. The company is betting on its Game Pass service and cloud gaming to attract a broader audience, even beyond traditional console players. Although cloud gaming remains a small portion of the market (less than 6% globally), Microsoft continues to invest in this future-forward approach.
