The buttoned-up folks over at the Wall Street Journal recently published a report on the current state of console gaming (thanks PSLS) and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the PS5 has a commanding lead over its main rival, the Xbox Series X|S. The situation looks completely insurmountable for Microsoft at this point and unlikely to change, regardless of how many rakes Sony continues to step on. Nintendo, meanwhile, is off daydreaming again while unconsciously printing money, essentially in a league of its own.
![YouTube Video](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y-XGB8_bQ3s/maxresdefault.jpg)
Microsoft remains famously tight-lipped about Xbox sales figures, but WSJ had access to market intelligence firm Aldora Intelligence to come up with the numbers. As we enter the fifth year of the current console generation, Sony has sold 61.7 million PS5s as of June 2024. Microsoft has moved approximately 28.3 million Xbox Series X|S's, which the folks over at TweakTown put at a rate of almost 3:1, outpacing the lead gained during the PS4 and Xbox One era. With the contentious PS5 Pro on the horizon, this rate will only increase, although at what pace remains to be seen.
![WSJ Lifetime Hardware Sales](https://images.pushsquare.com/6ea7f5e980b2e/wsj-lifetime-hardware-sales.900x.jpg)
Looking at those stark little graphs, it is little wonder Microsoft is trying for a paradigm shift or to "redefine gaming", as WSJ puts it. As far as we know, the plan now is to keep generating revenue through subscriptions, and catering to what was formerly seen as competitors' platforms where possible.
What do you think of WSJ's graph? Is there anything Microsoft could do to convince you to jump ship and pick up its next console? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source youtube.com, via playstationlifestyle.net]
Comments 120
How is 61.7 vs 28.3 3 to 1? Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case in the last few months due to Xbox practically saying the couldn’t care less about their hardware and want to bring games to the most platforms. But those numbers in the graphs don’t tell that story.
I moved over to PlayStation when the Xbox One was revealed and I am really glad I did. Definitely has been the best place to play games. This generation has been incredibly messy though, but when Sony is on song with their first party games, nothing comes close for me personally on Xbox. I wouldn’t dream of going back to Microsoft exclusively again, I just like my gaming on PlayStation. I definitely hope Sony takes this generation as a warning though. They have been complacent of late, but when the main competitor is languishing so far behind and is making moves to possible go 3rd party, I can’t see how Sony would lose their position to Xbox.
quietly in the background Nintendo switch goes onto be the biggest selling console of all time. why are PlayStation fans so focused on xbox when Nintendo is beating them quite handily
maybe selling a cheaper console not chasing power is the way to go
@LowDefAl no one is talking about the total but what's selling now quarterly
Just waiting for Sony to finally announce first party titles to fix the interest this generation.
In reference to the Pro point, the thing is many of those sales will be current PS5 owners. I think something like 40% of PS4 Pro owners were people that already bought a regular one. So it's not expanding the userbase as much as it seems, not increasing the potential for software sales and subscriptions.
Same as with things like the Switch Lite and OLED, and all these special edition versions of various consoles. I mean, talking of the Switch, that's sold something like 150 million now, right? And as impressive as it is, Mario Kart 8 has "only" sold 60 million IIRC. Considering it's been charting highly (and therefore consistently selling very well on a weekly basis) since it released and that it's such a must-have game for the system, it's very weird that 90 million Switch owners haven't bought it. Unless you consider that the actual userbase is considerably smaller than what the sales suggest. Of course there are other factors, like people buying a console but then not using it after a while (like my nephew with his Switch...)
I’ve owned every PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo home console except for the SNES along with a couple of Sega systems, including the 32X and the Xbox series X is the first system I regret purchasing.
I was always playstion. I played halo on the xbox and moved over to Microsoft. Bought the 360 on the promise of full HD gaming and being very happy with the original black brick I thought it was a no brainer..After 2 years of sending the bloody thing back to Microsoft to keep having the red ring of death repaired I decided to purchase the ps3 and whilst most first party games (yeah I know right) we're stunning most of the other games we're quite awful to be brutally honest. Bayonetta was shocking performance wise and dragons dogma with those huge black borders and the old vasoline vision was just horrendous. It transpires that very few xbox 360 or ps3 games ever played in full HD. I've stayed with sonys consoles ever since and I can't see myself returning to owing an xbox again. I love gaming on my ps5 and I just think it's a cracking console and sonys dominance is speaking volumes because everybody's buying them. Now we just need some real ps5 first party games that are not hobbled by having to be on the ps4 too.
What’s crazy is that this would be even worse for MS if it wasn’t for Sonys stock shortages early on.
As you say, it’s obvious why MS are giving up on the Xbox as exclusive platform for selling its content. With PlayStation consumers having a significant library of games already, people are not just going to walk away from the ecosystem.
What I wish MS would do, rather than the subscription rubbish, is push Nintendo. Release a handheld hybrid instead, with more grunt, and price it as a secondary console. With MS’s collection of publishers they might actually get Ninty to do more than release more copies of its same old franchises.
Remember how several global governments scrutinized Micro's acquisition of Acti-Blizz citing fears that they would monopolize the gaming industry? It's almost like they had zero clue about the current state of the industry or how it works.
I also definitely don't remember both this website and many of its users ardently arguing the acquisition would be the end of gaming as we know it...
@RoomWithaMoose
In fairness, nobody knew MS would not prioritise its own platform above others (in fact, they still could in theory). History actually indicated the opposite in fact. MS could have destroyed the PlayStation platform by strangling it of much of the largest third party content, they just decided not to. For now anyway.
Microsoft gave up on the console industry a long time ago.
@Fartingale The Xbox Series X was my first Xbox. Only bought it because I couldn't source a PS5 during the shortage, but haven't regretted it due to GamePass. Not sure I'll buy a next gen Xbox though (if there is one).
There's no chance I ever buy another Xbox, all of their games are on PC now so what's the point. That said if the next Playstation is around the price of the Pro and doesn't have a disc drive, then I'm done with them as well
First off it was 2:1; then it suddenly went up to 5:1, and now it's 3:1.... I don't particularly pay attention to any of the numbers.... and if no one noticed, Microsoft hasn't been about consoles in maybe 4-5 years. Their strategy is two things : creating content (increasingly anywhere) and creating a delivery of a subscription based service (everywhere). I think focusing on ratio of sales is kind of dwelling on the past. If no one noticed... shrinking XBox numbers also means that there are fewer people buying traditional consoles. That's not good for any console players - regardless of preference..... edit: after all these years, I finally worked out markups because I learned to distinguish [] from <> lol.
@Matroska handheld gaming also has this thing where people buy to collect them more than the homeconsole on this worlds, as the pricepoint is also cheaper on nintendo’s side. Not saying that that is a large number of people to do so but I’m willing to guess that it’s at least 0,5% of total switch sales that are just bought by someone that already has a switch and want some more limited edition.
But they won’t be buying more copies of a game they already have naturally.
Speaking for myself I own 2 switches and was almost willing to buy a Switch lite because of the Zelda edition.
Microsoft did NOTHING for their current XBOX Series X/S.
Microsoft did really stupid with DRM check and Always Online for their XBOX ONE.
The only good thing Microsoft did in my opinion were the XBOX 360 Kinect games, DDR UNIVERSE 1-3 on XBOX 360, DDR ULTRAMIX 1 - 4 on XBOX.
@thefourfoldroot1 Even if they made future Acti-Blizz projects Xbox exclusive, it would've been an uphill battle to catch up with PlayStation.
And many did actually predict they wouldn't compromise established markets for the sake of propping up a failing console. At most, I would expect then to transition to mostly exclusive output for their next console. But, as many pointed out tangentially at the time, that would give Sony plenty of time to design competitors to their biggest franchises.
It was still a fair concern, but it was largely blown out of proportion. And the current landscape is evidence of that.
@trev666 cheaper consoles helped; but having a great form factor + LOTS OF FIRST PARTY ICONIC GAMES that can't be played anywhere else was more likely the ticket. Sony seems to care less and less about it's core IP benefit, and is slowly sinking to become just a generic cheap PC alternative (though the Pro seems to be pushing even those boundaries). And while Sony is selling much better than XBox... can anyone really (honestly) tell me what's the difference at this point?
@RoomWithaMoose The majority of that scrutiny came from concerns regarding monopolising the cloud gaming space, as this is an area they have a significant market share in, not so much what their plans were for hardware.
@Fartingale I have similarly owned most consoles over the decades back as far as the 2600. The Series X is also the first console I regretted buying. My biggest regret however would have to be the PSVR2.
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare
The play anywhere etc currently isn’t working.
Subscription has stalled (not just for ms but Sony also). Most GP users are still on console. So to boost those numbers they currently need to be selling consoles.
Now I’m not saying MS are doomed but it shows why they are heading multiplatform and most likely why ‘Xbox’ will be rebranded as MS gaming’
There will be people who say these numbers do not matter, that Microsoft don't care about hardware anymore, they're more focused on access anywhere, ect. The truth is, their own internal projections from leaked documents highlighted console as the main focus and driver of gamepass subscriptions and growth for the next 6 years, and they're currently way behind those figures. They absolutely care about hardware and results like this.
Hence the $700/€800 console tbh…
@PsBoxSwitchOwner I think the problem is that MS are on the lowest level... so they got hit by the lack of new console players first. I think Nintendo is safe - but PS needs to be careful that it doesn't pitch itself as a PC replacement, and finds it's a PC-redundant.
Edit - and yes, GP is floundering... but MS have a longer term view.
62 vs 29 million is not 3:1. If my math is correct.
Split seems almost the same as last gen, where Sony sold 117 million of PS4 and Xbox selling 57 million of Xbox One.
Which honestly isn't that bad for Microsoft. Especially when you consider fact that at the start of Xbox One gen they have pretty okayish first-party lineup (which they didn't have this time) and they were not releasing their games on PC day one, like today.
Xbox today is ecosystem which you can enter in different ways. Cloud, PC Game Pass, buying their games on Steam, buying a console. So still selling almost 30 mil. is okay. Not bombastic, but not terrible.
Also, I need to point out that this graph is estimates. Estimates based on hardware revenue (which Microsoft is reporting every quarter) is talking about 32 million Xbox Series consoles sold.
https://i.ibb.co/JmVCHWy/Screenshot-20240810-052511.png
I just have to state the obvious - because it's hurting my brain - the ratio is the same (at the moment); but whoever wrote this seems to be looking at the total number of sales... half-way through the life-cycle, and look... it's about half what last gen was. Who is letting this crap through? It's the same with PlayStation... about half the PS4 gen. What was the actual point of this other than to try and rile up the masses?
Good games make consoles sell, so the graph's right.
However, I wonder why Nintendo's not in there. It's line would have dwarfed the other 2 ? ^__^
The maths is not mathing here.
62million vs 29million is not 3:1
It's pretty much exactly the same as last gen
Sony just announced their TGS line up and it's looking pretty good, should hopefully help shift more consoles in Japan
https://www.gematsu.com/2024/09/sony-interactive-entertainment-announces-full-tgs-2024-lineup-schedule
Good news here is this is more than enough to keep them in the Consoles business as part of their wider ecosystem.
Yes, good news. Competition is good, in fact the industry could really do with that gap closing. Sony (or MS, or anyone else) without competition would be hideous for consumers.
@Sakai @Oz_Who_Dat_Dare @Godot25 I believe the 3:1 is a reflection of sales in the last 14 months and obviously not from the total figures you are seeing above. Bear in mind those sales numbers are estimates from a market analyst firm and a reporter from Tweaktown, so I would take the precise accuracy of what's being estimated with a pinch of salt.
@Intr1n5ic so the 3:1 sounds almost like a pointless made up number to bait fanboys. Saying that the sales are the same as last gen would not get the clicks obviously.
Thanks for clearing that up mate
@Sakai There's definitely an element of bait to it, which is unfortunately prevalent in so much journalism these days, particularly gaming.
Nowhere near 3 to 1 😂 2 and a bit to 1 more like lol. Saw the figures other day though PS2 n Xbox was like 6 to 1 😮
This will be my last gen of gaming for a bit. Think I'll skip ps6 and any next box and pick up a ps7.
I'm just so disappointed with the games and state of gaming in general this generation.
We're heading into year 5 of this gen and my God where are the games Sony?
Price hikes, GAAS lack of 1st party games, most games still being created with ps4 in mind instead of moving on to current gen to push things forward.
It's just the way I feel. I've been a gamer all my life so this is a real shame for me personally. 😕
Also all people who think Xbox is dead even on pure Xbox lol people saying its gunna die. can't see Xbox going anywhere when it's same as last gen and nowhere near 6 to 1 like the 1st gen that didn't put them off they still carried on
@Anti-Matter don't forget Xbox live arcade that was the single best thing they ever did 😥
Why i have a big doubt that Xbox Series even sold 28-29 million units, especially with the way 3rd parties talked to skip Xbox and just go with PS, Switch, and PC.
But i wouldn't buy PS6 if Sony go full digital and just stick with what i have right now.
The 3:1ratio or better started the first month of 2023 when the PS5 was no longer supply constrained. The lifetime ratio at that point was 1.5:1. Now it's 2.18:1 and still growing. The peak ratio last gen was 2.02:1.
So the situation this gen is much much worse for Xbox. Their internal projections for gamepass were also leaked and they predicted 60m around now. They stalled at 30m and added gold subs into gamepass to pad the number.
@Fartingale I'm the same.
Had a few Sega consoles, every Nintendo, every XBox and every PlayStation.
Series X is the first one I regret buying. I haven't used it other than to install and try a few classic games the first week I had it.
@Absymbel It's not for everyone, but I love my PSVR2. Legendary Tales and Arizona Sunshine 2 are next in my backlog, and Behemoth is almost here too. I have as much hype for all of them as I do for Dragon Age.
This is what happens when you dont have enough excludives people want to play, then you go put the ones you do have onto other systems, all while chasing subscription models....
Sony take note.....
@trev666 for the games that Nintendo makes less raw power is okay. The trend that Sony and Microsoft set is more power the past two decades. Allowing for more ambitious console titles. And fans of the PS and Xbox expect these games each generation. I like Nintendo and I’m not hating on them. But Sony and MS suddenly going to underpowered systems for the present day would be a negative for them. Of course optimization play a big role but power is power.
I can't even play what I have on Playstation. Why would I ever buy an Xbox.
Sony could not release a single game on the ps6 and people would will buy it in droves because of the brand recognition,Literally everyone I know at work or friend's buys a playstation every time just because that's what they had when they was younger it's what they have always had. They don't care about what exclusives it has they just play cod, FIFA, GTA, fortnite and assassins creeds
@UltimateOtaku91 I must be looking at a different list
@Intr1n5ic my point is that everyone and their dog has 'numbers'... their numbers may not be wrong, but at the end of the day, the numbers aren't that important as compared to the macro-scape (what's happening with consoles in general, and what's happening with Sony/MS specifically...) and that has more to do with their strategy. Not the day-to-day (month-to-month, or even quarterly numbers). Decisions for change take a long time to happen, and the public data often lags what the companies are seeing/testing.
How can i company that owns 30 studios manage to release about one game a year?
Thought the PS2 cleared 158 million, didn't it?
When you consider that the Series S is outselling X at 3:1 too, the figure of PS5 is even scraier in difference with the competition.
@Bionic-Spencer same I switched properly the end of the x360/ps3 era (though I did have a ps1 and vita) and haven’t missed Xbox at all since.
Their disastrous xbone reveal and constant missteps have made me glad I did, though Sony seem a bit shaky at the moment I’m sure they’ll get back on track.
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare As I mentioned in a previous post, internal documents were leaked outlining their projections to grow gamepass up until 2030, and console was their main contributor and focus in that strategy. They are millions behind where they wanted to be at this point.
You might not think these numbers are that important, but when they are directly affecting their biggest projected market for growth, I guarantee you they don't share the same opinion.
I mean, okay, @Khayl, not sure who did the maths, but the PlayStation is actually outselling the Xbox at a rate of 2.2 to 1. So, if you're going to round up / down the figures, then in would be fairer to say 2 to 1. Just sayin'... 😉
I was looking at the best selling consoles the other day. The series X/S has failed to overtake the Atari 2600. Its no wonder Xbox no longer publicise sales figures. There was a time when I was going to buy a series X but it has yet to give me a good enough reason (I don't like Game Pass). Perhaps Gears of War E Day will give me reason.
@Intr1n5ic events, like farts, don't always happen when you want. The problem is - everyone keeps talking about who said what/when... business doesn't work like that. Things change... XBox and Microsoft (or the world) isn't the same as when those leaks happened. That's the difference between successful businesses and yesterday's news. Adaptability to change. I can actually guarantee that.
Yep Xbox is dead competition
Sony and Nintendo have different target audiences. Many gamers own both consoles as they have decidedly different catalogues when it comes to 'console sellers'. It's my impression that younger generations don't favour power and graphics as much as more established gaming generations. There are as many female gamers in the younger generations now too so I'd be interested to see statistics on console choice and other gaming habits across a wide age spectrum. Mobile gaming has proven that handheld is here to stay. Sony are only competing with Microsoft for now but that could change as the generations shift. Despite industry upheaval, a serious lack of first party exclusives this gen and a relentlessly hard to please gamer base, I can say that we've never had such overwhelming choices as gamers - including Xbox players.
@trev666 Sony dont sell a handheld - it's a different market and I suspect you know you are drawing a false equivalency.
Their product does not directly compete.
@16BitHero Well said mate. I've seen every single generation of games machine and I've never had so much to play, with almost everyone I know saying their backlog is so huge. There is a problem with people getting older and falling out of love with games. That's on them, not the offerings. I'm probably older than the vast majority on here but I've never lost my enthusiasm and I can confidently say that if you are a real gamer, your choices have never been better or more varied.
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare I don't disagree, but none of that means these figures aren't important.
As a few have stated, Without closer competition, Sony can easily keep it's prices higher. However a $700 console is not horrendous. I recently researched decent PC builds and a comparable $1200 up to $2100. Those are not high end. Sadly the days of cheap gaming may be coming to an end unless you go mobile.
I’ve never owned an XBOX. Just too similar to PlayStation and not as good as far as games go
@trev666 well, there are quite a few reasons why Nintendo doesn’t really get brought into the conversation actually. For one, Nintendo seems to get grouped all by itself and not with PlayStation and Xbox. For instance, most gamers only own two consoles on either a switch and a PlayStation, or a Xbox and a Switch. Very few probably own an Xbox and a PlayStation. I think it’s because the two systems are so similar.
Also, the switch released with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox one. So it’s kind of in a different class, in my opinion. And finally, most “hardcore “gamers really don’t just own a Switch. It’s almost like it’s a peripheral next to the other two consoles. Not dissing Nintendo or anything like that. Just an observation.
3:1 does not seem like enough.
Anyone paying attention isn't surprised by this, Xbox never really recovered from the disaster that was the reveal of the XBone. Unfortunately for them, that was the gen where people established digital libraries in their respective ecosystems, making it VERY unlikely (and financially punitive) to "switch sides."
This is the last generation of Xbox consoles.
All the numbers on the Microsoft side will be bogus. The detailed sales, the ones that matter, won’t show up in any chart tracker.
Not to suggest this news is wrong, just saying there’s no point in pulling sales numbers from other sources because they will never be accurate. That’s by design.
Remember when Phil Spencer said that he viewed Google Stadia as the "real competition", not Sony? Yeah that aged well.
https://9to5google.com/2020/02/05/microsoft-google-stadia-competition-phil-spencer-interview/
I wish Xbox was putting up more of a fight, Sony would have to try harder. They've gotten away with some bs this generation they never would have if there was more competition.
It's kinda sad that nowadays a lot of folks cheer numbers when all we should care about are playing games, regardless of where they are.
@Toot1st this is why marketing has been THE biggest factor in Sony's success. And marketing happens to be one of MS many, many weak points.
Sony has made itself synonymous with Franchise Titles, Big Brands, GTA, Fifa and CoD, the Champions League, The UK, Europe and The World.
MS has a core following in middle America, and is synonymous with Space Marines, Space Marines, and maybe some other Space Marines.
How a global company like MS can be so insular when it comes to selling consoles to people is crazy 😅
@trev666 Thing is power is nothing especially when you build a mid fresh with slightly better sharper graphics and 60fps with AI upscale tech. PS4 has been holding PS5 base back because there's still too many PS4 in the household over PS5
Microsoft doesnt care they are laughing their way to the bank with Xbox games everywhere now. lol
It always makes me laugh how the people who benefit from these sales numbers the least (gamers) get caught up in this „my console of choice is outselling yours” nonsense. The fact remains that this gen has been the weakest ever for Playstation and if this keeps up my PS5 will be the last Playstation I buy. A lot of hardware, too few first party games (that aren’t remakes, remasters, rehashes). The same can be said about MS.
I always buy all the consoles, its kind of irrelevant to me who holds the crown. I didnt touch my PS5 for the first 3 years though, half of that time I didnt even have it plugged in. Wasnt until the portal came out that I started diving in. Its a solid console, but I still much prefer the xbox and its ecosystem. its the little things that I like, like the resume features(xbox allows several games to be held in resume, ps5 allows 1) and the pick up and play ability. (ie. I can play on my series x downstairs, turn it off, and resume without any issues on either my steam deck via remote play or series x in my master) Litle quality of life things that just aren't as good on the PlayStation.
At what point do we reach diminished returns? For a lot of people, I think that might have been the last generation/current generation. Other than faster loading times, or the elimination thereof, I don’t really care that much about ultra high resolution and frame rates. So with that said, I wonder if the next frontier for Sony and MSFT would be to go the hybrid route like Nintendo.
Have both PS5 and Series X.
Both have been rather disappointing compared to the halcyon years, certainly the 360 and the PS4.
Sony has starved us of 1st party games this gen and seems focused on hardware, flashy and great that it is... where are the actual GAMES to show it off.
Microsoft seems to really not know WHAT they want to be, on every other device and abandoning the X so it seems.
Never mind, I got snake II on me 3310 so it's all good. 🐍
@Slidebomb
I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand why selling hardware is important. Sony get 30% of all revenue generated on PSN, that’s 30% of CoD, 30% of GTAVI etc. etc.
@Matroska I don't take your point. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe already has an absolutely insane attach rate for a non-bundled game. Its attach rate is more than double the attach rate of the best-selling game on Playstation 4.
Not everyone likes the same thing.
Glad I switched to pc - a sony monopoly on high end console gaming is not a future I want to be a part of.
PC and switch 2 sounding like the perfect gaming hardware composition right now.
@Titntin Same, I've been gaming since the late 80's and while I know there are some unsavoury aspects of gaming, there is truly something for everyone and this is only going to continue and evolve. If something isn't for me, I don't complain, I move on to what does interest me. Some of our favourite franchises and ips might pivot in ways we're not happy about but that's the same with literally everything in life through generational change. Don't dwell on it. Find what is worth your time, what you do enjoy. As you mentioned - my personal buzzword for this generation is BACKLOG.
@Fiendish-Beaver Lol. Its clearly only 2.2 to one if you look across this generation from the start. If you look at the last year it is 3 to 1.
It's clearly a better summation of where we are now to look at the current sales rather than go back a few years to try and make it seem somehow better?
Right now Xbox is dying and it would be better for everyone imo if it did not. However, its quite clear that the leadership team at Xbox are not clear on a direction, have lost trust through lying too often and are now being made hostage to share holders who want ever increasing financial gain with zero scruples about how they get it. I'm sure Microsoft gaming will become a dominant publisher, but they will kill of the Xbox division to get there, and that's the only part of the corp I had time for. Never thought I'd sell my series X, but it's going on Ebay.
@Bionic-Spencer Me too. Was a PlayStation guy for PS1 and PS2, left during the PS3 gen for Microsoft (so glad I did), and back to Sony for PS4 when the Xbone looked like a disaster. As much as this generation has sucked so far, with back compat now and on the cards for PS6 (and Halo and Gears having lost their way), I’ll never go back.
@ChrisDeku Yes. That’s also why Microsoft will be OK; they don’t need to worry about hardware. They’re now a publishing powerhouse, and that’s where they’ll make their money.
@Ralizah Well my point is that if you visited 150 Switch owner's houses, we all know most of them would have Mario Kart. How many Switch owners do you know that don't have it? And yet if you visited 100 Switch owners, apparently about 60 of them wouldn't have it on average.
With other platforms no one sees certain games as an automatic buy as much as they do with Nintendo.The Switch doesn't get most games, people aren't split in as many directions. It's a lot harder to imagine a Switch owner not having BotW and Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 than is is to imagine a PS owner not having Spider-Man, GoW and GoT. Basically, how many people do you know with a Switch without MK8? Is it twice as many as those you know with it? Because that's what the stats say. And how many people have you seen on Nintendo Life or other sites that say they have a Switch and an OLED or Lite? Or various SEs? It's incredibly common on gaming sites to see this, especially with Nintendo.
You might want to say that's just hardcore, internet people, but as I said, the PS4 Pro's sales were 40% regular PS4 owners. So the total unique owners was a lot lower than it sounded. Now bear in mind the Switch has three models and loads of SEs. The unique owners and the total sales are increasingly different as the number of models increases.
I'll never get an Xbox but I do want them to be a viable competitor to Sony/PS.
Sony does a lot of dumb crap when they get complacent.
@MasterChiefWiggum
Sure, and so is Embracer
@IOI well the best part of the pro , is that its only really for people that want that upgrade. you can still play the same ps5 games they will , so its not like any one is missing out with ps5 pro only games. it pretty much is the same on pc , either you can get the best performance buying a 4090 gpu , or you can buy a cheaper 3040 or 3060 or older 2000's series gpu , and you can play the same games with less performance.
@Matroska Anecdotally, most Switch owners I know (non-core gamers) have one Switch. Usually just the base model. Several don't own Mario Kart, although, unsurprisingly, all of them own some Nintendo games.
I'm not denying that there's a lot of the same people buying new models. There obviously are. 140 million Switches sold doesn't mean 140 million owners, as is the case with any console, really, but especially the ones with significant revisions.
That said, the base model, which has easily sold the most of the models, I think is predominantly going out to new owners. And even with the revisions, you'll have a more half-and-half split of new and established owners.
Overall, I think the base of Switch owners is still probably north of 100 million. That the same games stay so high in the charts all the time speaks to that as well.
And when you talk about gaming revenue rather than systems sold, Xbox wins by a huge margin.
The PS2 sold an absolute truckload because it was one of the least reliable consoles ever to exist and plenty of people bought more than one.
This is horrible news because if you recall, when Sony had no real competition, they became very arrogant and the PS3 launch happened.
Xbox have bowed out of the console race, I don’t think they have any interest in trying to compete with Sony or Nintendo at console sales. At this point the Series X and S is an option along many other options from Microsoft, including PlayStation of where to play their games.
@ChrisDeku Embracer doesn’t have anything like the portfolio that Microsoft does. They don’t have anything close to Activision, Zenimax, etc.
@__jamiie
No, it’s still not even close to overtaking PlayStation. Yearly revenue for Xbox division(with 3 quarters now accounting for the ABK revenue) was $21.5b, with full ABK revenue absorbed into accounts it will be something like $23b. Thats with all the CoD revenue, mobile revenue from King, and big third party games like Minecraft, Gamepass across Xbox, PC, cloud etc.
PlayStation’s last full yearly revenue was $29.64b. For the last 12 months up to June 30th it’s around $30b.
The PS2 sold more software than any other console in history until the PS4 overtook it, so that doesn’t track. The least reliable console in history was the Xbox 360 and that’s an established accepted fact. I’ve never even heard of the PS2 being particularly unreliable.
@MasterChiefWiggum
Embracer doesn’t have anything close to a reputation equal to their portfolio though. Let’s see if MS is able to do better. Their last 2 major games, Forza Motorsport and Hellblade 2 both had peak concurrent user counts on Steam lower than Redfall and both have sold under 100k copies on steam. That’s not really the results of a publishing powerhouse. Let’s see if they can find a way to sell serious amounts of software while pushing their Gamepass model.
@ChrisDeku It’s tricky, I agree. But COD is a money printer in terms of PlayStation sales (for now), and they’ve still got things like Candy Crush which also print money. I also agree that Game Pass must make it tough to be profitable. But I think they have a brighter publishing future than Embracer at the moment…and certainly as a console manufacturer. Time will tell!
@Titntin you may well be the oldest..sorry I meant most experienced gamer here. As I'm trying my hardest to catch you up I'm looking at my backlog and it's making me wince. I have so many games I have not even started to think about playing and I really should too. Also I've been thinking about something you mentioned the last time we conversed on here and that was about space saving. As everybody knows I lost my mother earlier this year and having to sort out her estate especially the amount of dvd's and cd's as well as all her books etc was excruciatingly difficult which in turn has made me rethink my stance on digital purchases. Whilst I love my physical games I'm currently looking at my massive collection of games,cd's,dvd's,books and graphic novels and if I go before my wife the poor things going to have a nightmare sorting that lot out. You certainly gave me food for thought my friend.
I don't disagree with anything you say, @Titntin, I was just pointing out that the math was wrong. Totally agree that the recent picture will be much worse. I think even 3 to 1 would actually be being generous to Xbox right now...
Pure poetry 😁
"Nintendo, meanwhile, is off daydreaming again while unconsciously printing money, essentially in a league of its own."
@trev666 Sony beat up Nintendo so bad that they left the traditional console market. Now they make kiddie games with lesser production values for a portable which is generally owned as a secondary machine.
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare Subscriptions are heavily reliant on consoles sales. Xbox sales have been awful which is why GamePass is stagnant and has been getting significant prices and been restructured.
@RoomWithaMoose
Perhaps you forgot most gaming PCs are also beholden to Microsoft?
Regulators were definitely right to try and block Microsoft buying up more of the industry. They don't need to buy their way to the top in every industry they exist in.
@Northern_munkey Thanks my friend.
I'm happy to plant that seed in your head! It might not be for everyone of course. Its a liberating experience to divest yourself of so much built up media. It dictated how I used my rooms and took up so much space, reclaiming that and having a refresh was really helpful to me in many ways. It was also clearly representitive of some stuff I needed to clear out mentally, but thats another story..
Have a good weekend mate.
@Titntin 👍
@The_Wailing_Doom While that does reduce the applicability of this article to that specific issue, I wouldn't say their presence on both PCs and in the console scene validates the extra scrutiny. After all, PlayStation is on PC too, now; Nintendo doesn't need PC whatsoever to be a bigger player than Microsoft; and Microsoft isn't close to the biggest name on PC.
They're dead last in the console space, and even GamePass for PC can't overwhelm the gargantuan titan that is Steam. CoD, WoW, Overwatch, and Doom could never change that.
That's crazy you'd think this would be another sega situation but xbox got daddy Microsoft money so idk what these people r doing 🤔
I wonder if Playstation or Xbox is making a profit this year? They both seem determined to throw money at massive projects that are ridiculously expensive and out of touch with what their customers actually want. Even popular games that sell 10 million are having trouble making their budgets back. Meanwhile Nintendo is financially responsible and just makes fun little games that people buy, and keep selling for years after.
Hey, @Titntin, forgive me if I've asked this before, as I may have forgotten (it's an age thing! 😉), but I note that you refer to yourself as one of the oldest on here, thus I feel the need to have an age off; have you, like myself, hit your 60s yet...? After all, there can be only one old git and I want it to be me... 🤣
@Fiendish-Beaver I think it might be you mate as I only turned 60 last month! 21/08/1964.
Im kinda glad if im not the eldest and I will happilly concede the title!
Have a good one 😊
I'm not a lot older, @Titntin, just 9 months! 22/12/63. Indeed, judging by our birthdates, I was popping out, just as you were popping in, if you catch my drift! 😉 I like to think of myself as well-lived and wise, rather than old... 😂
@Fiendish-Beaver lol, title conceded mate.
You are the most 'well lived and wise' of us 🤣
Is Microsoft even working on a new upgraded system?
@Fiendish-Beaver I can't remember who but I recall at least one person here that could still call you a kid.... I'm pretty sure the title of Elder Pony is not yours so can claim, I'm afraid!
@Toot1st Exactly! People keep going on about exclusives and Sony porting to PC but exactly what you say is that drives their market today, and they know that.
@Sakai IIRC the 2:1 is lifetime, including launch where Xbox had a decent start and good momentum. 3:1 is the current year after Xbox declared they dgaf.
@GreatAuk It's all but announced they're working on a handheld. They have said they're working on a Gen system that will "be the greatest technological leap in console history". I'm guessing that means AI. Could all be noise. Rumor says it'll really be a PC in console form factor with PC storefronts (MS has talked about the multiple store fronts like epic.)
So yes, and there's lots of theories and I do believe it will happen. But you never know how they'll botch it.
@NEStalgia
I personally hope that Microsoft crushes it. I want their next system to wildly successful. I want it to blow people away. And I also want them to take a big hit on each console so that they can keep the price outrageously low and record huge sales numbers.
We need to keep Sony on their toes. Otherwise we stagnate like Intel did during their chip hegemony days.
@GreatAuk I completely agree. I do fear the price will be high. Phil talked and Moore's law ending making the subsidy model difficult to sustain and consoles are going to become more expensive than people are used to. So I think they're planning to go expensive (plus the handheld.). And I think they can't afford to do that either. But I also think it's true they're going to try to merge console and PC, which was the original point of Xbox.... They didn't mention steam, but if they DID manage to get steam and all the others on there and make it more a full windows machine with console ease, AND keep Prices accessible, Sony would need to try much harder to not become an island.
No surprise. Also why Sony has gotten more complacent. Hopefully something can shake them out of it.
I've been fortunate enough to own every single Xbox and PlayStation console. The only XBOX console I ever really enjoyed was the 360, and the only PlayStation console I only ever disliked was the PlayStation 3.
Not having that, @NEStalgia! Until that person steps forward, the title is mine... 😂
@Fiendish-Beaver lol wish I could remember who. I'm pretty sure whoever it is has DECADES on you! You'll have to take silver 🥈
No, @NEStalgia. You cannot award me a Silver when the other person hasn't turned up for the race! I'm happy to cede the title once that person is known, but until then the Gold is mine... 😂
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