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Microsoft has sold 26 million Xbox One consoles

Sony's got a huge lead, but Microsoft wants to focus more on user engagement than sales data.

David Craddock

January 18, 2017 12:56 PM

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Market research group SuperData published a report stating that Microsoft has sold approximately 26 million Xbox One consoles since the platform's launch in November 2013 (via Gaming Bolt).

Microsoft does not share numbers, leaving research firms to pick through sales.

SuperData's report was given in the context of prognosticating on how Nintendo's Switch will do in the market. Microsoft reported 19 million Xbox Ones sold around this time last year, meaning only an additional seven million units have moved since then. Sony has sold over 55 million PS4s—more than double Microsoft's numbers.

SuperData's bleak report boils down to a year-on-year decline for Microsoft.

The Xbox One manufacturer gained some momentum last year after the launch of the Xbox One S, a slimmer model of the platform. Microsoft outsold Sony for four straight months over last summer and fall, but in typical fashion did not reveal specific numbers.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has yet to announce when he will debut Xbox Scorpio, the platform's hardware update analogous to PlayStation 4 Pro. The launch of PS4 Pro in November swung the sales pendulum back in Sony's favor.

Scorpio was formally announced at E3 2016, with a vague release date of holiday 2017. Microsoft representatives claim Scorpio will be "the most powerful console ever made." Given SuperData's report, Microsoft will need to back up that claim if it hopes to remain competitive in the console space.

Microsoft appears to be taking Xbox One in a different direction, pivoting away from a tunnel-vision-like focus on hardware. Following today's report, the company made a statement to GameSpot reiterating that it "focusing on engagement as our main metric for success."

Additionally, the advent of initiatives like Play Anywhere, which allows consumers to purchase digital copies of first-party Xbox One games and play them on PC, seems to demonstrate that Microsoft wishes to grow the Xbox brand rather than focus solely on selling consoles.

Earlier today, Spencer tweeted that the platform's first-party lineup for 2017 would not include a new Gears of War or Halo title; instead, the studio anticipates testing new IP like Rare's Sea of Thieves.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.