[Grisham]

Microsoft gives Xbox console installed base numbers

After years of secrecy, Microsoft has revealed full Xbox console installed base numbers as it argues against the UK's CMA for the Activision merger.

www.tweaktown.com

Microsoft has officially revealed the Xbox console platform's full install base as of 2021 as part of new arguments against the UK's Competition Markets Authority regulatory body.

The CMA, which is basically the UK's version of the FTC, is directly challenging the Microsoft-Activision merger. Now Microsoft has fired back with an in-depth 38-page document making a case on why the $70 billion merger with Activision should be approved. While most of the information in the filing is redacted, we do get some very interesting data regarding consoles.

According to Microsoft, the Xbox console platform currently has an installed base of 63.7 million systems as of 2021. This excludes PCs and mobiles, which are now part of the Xbox ecosystem. PlayStation is "ahead of Xbox in all relevant metrics," Microsoft says.

Sony is the market leader for consoles and has been for over 20 years. Its PlayStation platform is ahead of Xbox in all relevant metrics (as is Nintendo).

PlayStation's installed base of consoles (151.4 million in 2021) is more than double the size of Xbox's (63.7 million in 2021).

Microsoft also notes that PlayStation has an installed base of 151.4 million systems. This figure does not match up with the data that Sony has provided regarding PS4 and PS5 shipments.

As of December 31, 2021, the PS4 had shipped 117.1 million units, whereas the PS5 had shipped 17.3 million units. Both PS4 and PS5 shipments combined for this period is 134.4 million units. So where did Microsoft get the other 17 million units?

The only thing that makes sense is the inclusion of other active PlayStation hardware, which may include PlayStation VR, PlayStation 3, and even PlayStation Vita handhelds, which are potentially collectively all categorized as part of the PlayStation hardware ecosystem.

It's important to remember that Xbox figures also include Xbox Series X/S sales, too.

Microsoft told Brazilian regulators at CADE that the PlayStation 4 has sold twice as many Xbox One consoles. A quick bit of math showed that the Xbox One platform had sold less than 58.6 million units worldwide.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

wow there's gonna be some seething across forums today...

Hardly a surprise to anyone paying attention, though.

 

[Nobody]

Pretty funny how we finally ended up getting the numbers from MS themselves.

This explains why Sony is so comfortable just coasting, taking PR losses and focusing on cashing in on what they have going on and expanding. If Sony can get 50% of people to sign up to PS+ that is already a number that is pretty much impossible for MS to match.

The install base of Xbox is a huge impediment for MS service ambitions and that explains why they are so bullish about making Cloud gaming happen and why they market PC gamepass so hard.

edit: it also explains their big games from big IPs all being crossgen

 

[Snes nes]

Lol people were saying the ps5 wasn't gonna sell then its outselling the Xbox and switch big surprise.

 

[CloudNull]

I'm surprised the numbers are so low. At this point I'd argue the 360 was a fluke and that was the only momentum that could have potentially dethroned Sony.

Sony is just on another level and you can't argue with the data. Xbox is like a floundering fish. 360 is still my all time favorite console followed closely by the PS2.

I'm not sure how Xbox closes the gap but what they've been doing isn't it.

 

[Nobody]

I'm surprised the numbers are so low. At this point I'd argue the 360 was a fluke and that was the only momentum that could have potentially dethroned Sony.

Sony is just on another level and you can't argue with the data. Xbox is like a floundering fish. 360 is still my all time favorite console followed closely by the PS2.

I'm not sure how Xbox closes the gap but what they've been doing isn't it.

The 360 had so much in it's favor:
- came out one year earlier.
- was way cheaper (and they managed to reduce it's price faster)
- was easier to develop for
- turned out to have better performance in most third party games
- at least for the first half of the generation MS actually showed up with the games to support it
- it's sales are inflated by Kinect
- 3RLD probably inflated sales as well
- they were successful establishing the paywall/payed online.

Sony was going broke, the PS3 was an obvious disaster (specially early on), the home console market in Japan already showed strong signs that it was shrinking fast, they were having a hard time reducing the price of PS3 (and pretty much never managed to do it properly even after removing a bunch of features), Sony/PSN got hacked and so on. Yet even with all that PS still ahead up slightly ahead and their internal studios actually became a lot more relevant.

 

[CloudNull]

The 360 had so much in it's favor:
- came out one year earlier.
- was way cheaper (and they managed to reduce it's price faster)
- was easier to develop for
- turned out to have better performance in most third party games
- at least for the first half of the generation MS actually showed up with the games to support it
- it's sales are inflated by Kinect
-3RLD probably inflated sales as well
- Sony was going broke and the PS3 was a disaster (specially early on)

It's kind of wild how bad the ps3 did at the start. I still can't believe they went with that launch price. By the end though it was a great system and had some classic games.

 

[Nobody]

It's kind of wild how bad the ps3 did at the start. I still can't believe they went with that launch price. By the end though it was a great system and had some classic games.

Every decision involving the PS3 hardware turned out to be the wrong decision. Even the good stuff like having free online, Other OS, having great retro, being very feature complete, etc. The most impressive thing Sony has done in the gaming business (besides taking over with the PS I guess) was turning the PS3 around and setting up the success of PS4 in the second half of that gen.

 

[Arkam]

Numbers are in line with what most expected. Good to have something concrete though. MS got WHOOPED last gen and still digging out of that hole. Gen 9 is likely much closer, but Sony is still leading there too.

 

[regawdless]

But how many frags in Halo does that equal?

 

[teezzy]

I'm surprised the numbers are so low. At this point I'd argue the 360 was a fluke and that was the only momentum that could have potentially dethroned Sony.

Sony is just on another level and you can't argue with the data. Xbox is like a floundering fish. 360 is still my all time favorite console followed closely by the PS2.

I'm not sure how Xbox closes the gap but what they've been doing isn't it.

Sony is unbeatable in the traditional console space. It's why Nintendo gave up to do their own thing and Microsoft is leaning so heavily on GamePass and bringing their games to PC. Sony felt threatened by this and began to do it themselves

Now all MS can really do is go on a spending spree. I'm not even entirely sure they want to beat Sony as much as they want to retain their customer base and core audience

 

[Nobody]

Sony is unbeatable in the traditional console space. It's why Nintendo gave up to do their own thing and Microsoft is leaning so heavily on GamePass and bringing their games to PC. Sony felt threatened by this and began to do it themselves

Now all MS can really do is go on a spending spree. I'm not even entirely sure they want to beat Sony as much as they want to retain their customer base and core audience

Also just like MS set up Sony for success when they established the Live Gold paywall scheme they sort of set up Sony for success again with the whole games as a service push, due to PlayStation massive install base it should be pretty easy for them to convert these people to the higher PS+ tiers. We'll get to see it in the upcoming Sony financial reports now that they released PS+ Extra/Premium.

Where I think MS has the advantage is on the expansion to the PC market, Sony can't easily copy what MS did and offer PS+ on PC as well.

 

[Nobel 6]

I knew PS4 had outsold XB1, but I didn't think it was that massive of a difference. Mattrick/Xbox One/Kinect/TV,TV.TV really screwed over Xbox last gen and it's sad they are still struggling to recover.

 

[teezzy]

I knew PS4 had outsold XB1, but I didn't think it was that massive of a difference. Mattrick/Xbox One/Kinect/TV,TV.TV really screwed over Xbox last gen and it's sad they are still struggling to recover.

As fans, we're better off. It's forcing MS to innovate the industry via GamePass, expanding their first party, and push hard on things like backwards compatibility, legacy hardware, hardware specs, etc.

The Xbox brand is in a rebuilding phase, and things are only going to get better from here.

 

[brap]

As fans, we're better off. It's forcing MS to innovate the industry via GamePass, expanding their first party, and push hard on things like backwards compatibility, legacy hardware, hardware specs, etc.

The Xbox brand is in a rebuilding phase, and things are only going to get better from here.

Yeah those hardware specs on their shitty underpowered console because they're trying to get the poor market that everybody's complaining about developing for lmao.

 

[Nobel 6]

As fans, we're better off. It's forcing MS to innovate the industry via GamePass, expanding their first party, and push hard on things like backwards compatibility, legacy hardware, hardware specs, etc.

The Xbox brand is in a rebuilding phase, and things are only going to get better from here.

I agree 1000%. I'm super happy with everything Xbox is doing these days. The only thing that pisses me off is ACTI. If it wasn't for that acquisition Xbox could have picked up Eidos Montreal, Crystal Dynamics and all their IPs for next to nothing and had tons of money left over to make other deals.

I understand business-wise why they went for it but for me personally I'd much rather have those 2 studios than everything that comes with A/B/K.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

I'm surprised the numbers are so low. At this point I'd argue the 360 was a fluke and that was the only momentum that could have potentially dethroned Sony.

Sony is just on another level and you can't argue with the data. Xbox is like a floundering fish. 360 is still my all time favorite console followed closely by the PS2.

I'm not sure how Xbox closes the gap but what they've been doing isn't it.

Xbox problems have been the same since mid 360 era… their first party. Their first party studios have been trash.

Now there has been other issues. But they would have been small bumps in the road if they had a strong first party.

 

[teezzy]

Xbox problems have been the same since mid 360 era… their first party. Their first party studios have been trash.

Now there has been other issues. But they would have been small bumps in the road if they had a strong first party.

For some reason they seemed to think they could bank on Halo, Gears, and Forza alone last gen lol. I just hope they actually take advantage of all these new acquisitions moving forward

They're in it for the long con.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

For some reason they seemed to think they could bank on Halo, Gears, and Forza alone last gen lol. I just hope they actually take advantage of all these new acquisitions moving forward

They're in it for the long con.

They could if Halo and Gears could pull their own weight. But those franchises aren't what they need to be. Haven't been since the 360 days.

 

[Night Sky]

64 million xbox over two generations.
85 million xbox in one generation.

But nahh, xbox had never been better. Just wait until [insert timescale]

 

[teezzy]

64 million xbox over two generations.
85 million xbox in one generation.

But nahh, xbox had never been better. Just wait until [insert timescale]

Sales don't directly translate to quality. It's the same reason the most popular music isn't objectively the best, and the MCU isn't the peak of cinema. I'm sure you'd agree this also applies to games.

Xbox is currently in the same position as a sports team which has had far too many rough seasons behind them and is shaking things up and expanding in order to get back on track

 

[Optimus]

For some reason they seemed to think they could bank on Halo, Gears, and Forza alone last gen lol. I just hope they actually take advantage of all these new acquisitions moving forward

They're in it for the long con.

For some reason, they thought it was okay to let RARE turn themselves into a Pirate Adventure as a Service. Who thought that was okay?? How far Rare has fallen and it's just sad and pathetic.

 

[brap]

The only way Xbox won't end up in third place again next gen is if Sony hires Phil Dispenser.

 

[Optimus]

Lol people were saying the ps5 wasn't gonna sell then its outselling the Xbox and switch big surprise.

It's finally outselling Nintendo Switch, eh? All it took was for the Switch's sales momentum to slow. Way to go, Sony. It only took 2 years of PS5 being on the market.

 

[Nobody]

Yeah those hardware specs on their shitty underpowered console because they're trying to get the poor market that everybody's complaining about developing for lmao.

Said hardware also apparently hasn't resulted in any noticeable increase in market share and now we are entering the part where it will most likely become a nuisance for them to deal with.

For some reason, they thought it was okay to let RARE turn themselves into a Pirate Adventure as a Service. Who thought that was okay?? How far Rare has fallen and it's just sad and pathetic.

Who do you think?

 

[Stilton Disco]

Honestly, these numbers just hammer home what total bollocks MS buying up half the industry is.

The way things stood, when 99% of games were on both platforms, more than twice as many people chose to play those games on Playstation.

Letting Xbox buy up and likely eventually make console exclusives of so many major titles, would force people who have been proven not to choose an Xbox to have to buy one to play those games.

To even just have the option to do so is an unfair advantage, for the company that failed to sell to those same customers when the exact same games were available on both systems, and all that separated them was each companies choices in hardware features and the quality of the games they made to set themselves apart.

Neither company should have been buying studios, outside of very rare circumstances, let alone publishers. It completely screws the buying public out of the ability to freely make the best purchasing decision for themselves, and replaces free market forces with a race to the bottom that only the company with the deepest pockets can win, while the wider industry collapses around them.

I mean for fucks sake, nearly 70M in consoles sales is objectively great. There's no need for Xbox to be trying to pull these kind of greedy, underhanded tricks, and I really hope the courts pull the rug out from under them over it.

 

[JORMBO]

Xbox just needs games. They tried to coast on the usual Gear, Forza, Halo last gen. This gen everything keeps getting delayed or comes out mediocre (FH5 is fire though).Not suprised they are that far behind. If you aren't interested in their rental service there's no reason to buy an XB. I bought one and can't remember the last time I turned it on.

 

[Snes nes]

It's finally outselling Nintendo Switch, eh? All it took was for the Switch's sales momentum to slow. Way to go, Sony. It only took 2 years of PS5 being on the market.

the handheld gimmick can only go so far. Maybe this'll mean that nintendo will be forced to reduce the prices of their games......... maybe a little too hopeful there.

 

[Optimus]

the handheld gimmick can only go so far. Maybe this'll mean that nintendo will be forced to reduce the prices of their games......... maybe a little too hopeful there.

How far does it really need to go? I'm not even confident they will continue with the Switch gimmick. I'm even a little worried that they won't. Switch being a hybrid was a huge breath of fresh air for a hobby that is usually "stuck at home."

 

[Night Sky]

Sales don't directly translate to quality. It's the same reason the most popular music isn't objectively the best, and the MCU isn't the peak of cinema. I'm sure you'd agree this also applies to games.

I don't agree when it comes to hardware. The best selling consoles, not games, are the ones that are the best.

Xbox is currently in the same position as a sports team which has had far too many rough seasons behind them and is shaking things up and expanding in order to get back on track

Sorry teezy, you're a nice guy but this is niave. Phil Spencer and the xbox team have had chance after chance to right the ship and just disregard anything they're told. Even worse they try and change to industry to suit them.

From day one of the xbox, Microsoft carried the torch for Sega and followed their philosophy. Then around 2008 they pissed on that torch and its been downhill since then

 

[teezzy]

Y'all gonna eat your words when Brute Force 2 drops

 

[Nobody]

Xbox just needs games. They tried to coast on the usual Gear, Forza, Halo last gen. This gen everything keeps getting delayed or comes out mediocre (FH5 is fire though).Not suprised they are that far behind. If you aren't interested in their rental service there's no reason to buy an XB. I bought one and can't remember the last time I turned it on.

We are two years into this gen already and nothing is going to change it significantly any time soon. The consistent success of Sony in the home console space gives them way too much momentum, they have been delivering great and successful games for countless years at this point while MS has consistently struggled, that is not a perception that will be easy to revert.

If Sony has really sorted out their stock issue then with God of War Ragnarok, their stacked 2023 and PSVR2 things will change even more in their favor.

Sony has already successfully answered MS biggest play when they came up with PS+ Extra/Premium all that is left in their favor now is Cloud Gaming and PC Gamepass. ABK purchase if it happens will come in way too late to impact this gen.

 

[Snes nes]

How far does it really need to go? I'm not even confident they will continue with the Switch gimmick. I'm even a little worried that they won't. Switch being a hybrid was a huge breath of fresh air for a hobby that is usually "stuck at home."

I mean I really don't know not to be redundant but it could possibly mean a price reduction of their products that may boost sales for a while but inevitably I'd imagine they'll make a new home console with a underpowered but new gimmick that'll be trendy for a bit like the wii was or maybe surprise everyone and just go for a traditional console that has some power in it and continue to sell the switch as their main portable. I think that'd be the most logical route. I'm hoping maybe something like this somewhere down the line.

 

[Night Sky]

Y'all gonna eat your words when Brute Force 2 drops

Brute force 1 was 10/10

 

[cryptoadam]

And if it wasnt for alk the racist transphobes it would have sold double. Fuck you you bigoted pieces of shit.

Fulm disclosure i have a ps5

 

[Boss Mog]

So they're saying it's 58 million just XBOX One but 63 million with the series? That can't be right. Surely the series S and X have sold well over 5 million combined.

 

[Night Sky]

So they're saying it's 58 million just XBOX One but 63 million with the series? That can't be right. Surely the series S and X have sold well over 5 million combined.

Sold = consoles in the hands of customers
Microsoft's sold = consoles in the hand of retailers.

So series could have sold 15 million, but only sold 5 million.

 

[regawdless]

Xbox just needs games. They tried to coast on the usual Gear, Forza, Halo last gen. This gen everything keeps getting delayed or comes out mediocre (FH5 is fire though).Not suprised they are that far behind. If you aren't interested in their rental service there's no reason to buy an XB. I bought one and can't remember the last time I turned it on.

Just games isn't an easy thing to do, that's why MS struggles despite throwing money around like crazy. Very hard to establish long term constant quality development with multiple studios, get, keep and build up skilled people, have the processes in place and on point, the culture, leadership etc.

Game development is hard.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

Unless Microsoft somehow has the Vita numbers, those numbers don't seem to be correct. As OP said, where are the 17m coming from? Is it actually Vita?

 

[OmegaSupreme]

You can smell the desperation in the air from Microsoft. They think this Activision acquisition is their only shot at competing. To be fair they are probably right.