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PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S Sales Comparison - June 2021 - Sales

Exactly. Not only this argument makes no sense, but it is also based on nothing. There is no news, rumors, or reports which suggest that MS wanted to order more wafers but couldn't afford it.

Usually companies bid for these types of things. Microsoft probably didn't want more wafers because they didn't think demand would be so high. Plus they are splitting them between two systems which would lower the amount of each in the market.

Sony probably predicted really high demand for the PS5 so they bought more wafers to try and meet it. I have a feeling they won't he able to meet demand for quite a while though which sucks for people trying to get one.
 
But that'll be the case with any unofficial source sharing these numbers. They'd all be made up because they aren't official.

And while we will be able to match PS5 numbers eventually when Sony releases their official reports, we will never know the truth regarding Xbox numbers because MS won't release numbers officially.
It's almost like MS no longer uses console sale numbers as a metric of success any more. Back when they did you'll notice there was no Game pass, no cloud streaming, and they weren't putting new releases out day and date on PC. Sony and MS have different ways of reaching their customers now. MS has consoles but additional vectors too. Sony has just their console. It also explains why MS ordered fewer wafers in the first place. Last generation did them no favors but as many here say you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games. That largely isn't true elsewhere.
 
It's almost like MS no longer uses console sale numbers as a metric of success any more.

I still believe they are important to them. Consoles is one of the most convenient ways that they have to get people on those subscription services. Plus most people get those services on their consoles so console sales are still an important metric to them.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
It's almost like MS no longer uses console sale numbers as a metric of success any more. Back when they did you'll notice there was no Game pass, no cloud streaming, and they weren't putting new releases out day and date on PC. Sony and MS have different ways of reaching their customers now. MS has consoles but additional vectors too. Sony has just their console. It also explains why MS ordered fewer wafers in the first place. Last generation did them no favors but as many here say you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games. That largely isn't true elsewhere.
While the Xbox console isn't the only place to play Xbox games anymore (you have PC + xCloud), Xbox consoles are still extremely important for MS. Even Phil Spencer said the same in his recent IGN interview that consoles remain the best place to play (vs. xCloud), and MS also confirmed that hardware sales are super important for MS during the Epic vs. Apple case.

Besides, MS hasn't released consoles sales numbers since November 2014. That's not because of Gamepass (because there was no Gamepass back then). The reason was/is the poor console sales (compared to their competitors). Otherwise, MS always shared the sales numbers during the Xbox 360 generation because they were competing well.

I hope MS does well this generation and starts sharing more detailed insights and official data. I personally find the business side of companies interesting, and the lack of official MS data makes for uninteresting conversations.
 

lefty1117

Gold Member
I have both but use the Xbox SEX way more. Just more to do on it. Better value by a wide margin when you factor in gamepass. But when you have a huge built-in fanbase from the previous generation, it's going to take a lot more than just better overall value to get people to switch. The killer exclusives need to come - fortunately for MS it looks like they have some things in the pipeline. Perhaps a realistic goal for them would be to get within 5-10% of PS5's overall numbers by the end of this generation.
 
While the Xbox console isn't the only place to play Xbox games anymore (you have PC + xCloud), Xbox consoles are still extremely important for MS. Even Phil Spencer said the same in his recent IGN interview that consoles remain the best place to play (vs. xCloud), and MS also confirmed that hardware sales are super important for MS during the Epic vs. Apple case.

Besides, MS hasn't released consoles sales numbers since November 2014. That's not because of Gamepass (because there was no Gamepass back then). The reason was/is the poor console sales (compared to their competitors). Otherwise, MS always shared the sales numbers during the Xbox 360 generation because they were competing well.

I hope MS does well this generation and starts sharing more detailed insights and official data. I personally find the business side of companies interesting, and the lack of official MS data makes for uninteresting conversations.
If console sales were important to them as they claim, Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite would be exclusive titles for the Xbox Series S/X.

Instead, they pledged to support the Xbox one consoles until 2023. That tells me there goal is to increase and maintain game pass users because that’s the only reason they would do that.

Doing a small move like making Halo infinite an exclusive Series X/S title would have increased the sales and interest in the Series S/X consoles but they didn’t do that because they don’t care about how many Series consoles they sell, they want Xbox to transform into a service that’s why.
 
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If console sales were important to them as they claim, Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite would be exclusive titles for the Xbox Series S/X.

Instead, they pledged to support the Xbox one consoles until 2023. That tells me there goal is to increase and maintain game pass users because that’s the only reason they would do that.

Doing a small move like making Halo infinite an exclusive Series X/S title would have increased the sales and interest in the Series S/X consoles but they didn’t do that because they don’t care about how many Series consoles they sell, they want Xbox to transform into a service that’s why.
I think MS cares about console sales it just not the ONLY thing they care about like Sony and Nintendo do. If you aren't buying PlayStations and Switches those companies can't make money. MS isn't limited in that respect. With regards to X1 support if they get the streaming option working they'll be able to support those systems forever as long as you have the bandwidth. Again this is exactly OPPOSITE of what Sony and Nintendo are doing. They'd prefer to toss your old box and buy a new one.

While the Xbox console isn't the only place to play Xbox games anymore (you have PC + xCloud), Xbox consoles are still extremely important for MS. Even Phil Spencer said the same in his recent IGN interview that consoles remain the best place to play (vs. xCloud), and MS also confirmed that hardware sales are super important for MS during the Epic vs. Apple case.

Besides, MS hasn't released consoles sales numbers since November 2014. That's not because of Gamepass (because there was no Gamepass back then). The reason was/is the poor console sales (compared to their competitors). Otherwise, MS always shared the sales numbers during the Xbox 360 generation because they were competing well.

I hope MS does well this generation and starts sharing more detailed insights and official data. I personally find the business side of companies interesting, and the lack of official MS data makes for uninteresting conversations.
Sure perhaps at the onset it was to mask a perceived loss in terms of sales you also have to realize that things like Game pass and streaming weren't just created out of nowhere. Look at how MS has handled backwards compatibility. They lead the industry and it was because they put in the work. It is entirely possible that the same was true with regards to Game pass and streaming. It should also be noted that despite MS 'losing' last generation they sold more X1s in a loss than original Xboxes in a 2nd place finish. The industry has grown quite a bit since MS first entered the scene and that needs to be take into account. MS won't win console unit numbers but that is far from being the only important metric.
 
It's almost like MS no longer uses console sale numbers as a metric of success any more. Back when they did you'll notice there was no Game pass, no cloud streaming, and they weren't putting new releases out day and date on PC. Sony and MS have different ways of reaching their customers now. MS has consoles but additional vectors too. Sony has just their console. It also explains why MS ordered fewer wafers in the first place. Last generation did them no favors but as many here say you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games. That largely isn't true elsewhere.

dont be naive. if microsoft were selling 20m consoles a year theres would be no reason to withold such positive info. its all about how to put your brand in the most positive light. its actually a smart move by microsoft to withhold sales information. i agree with it and have no problem with them doing so but acting like microsoft dont care about sales is very silly. of course they want to sell as many systems as possible. xbox isnt even performing badly but its just bad press for them when its a lot less than your nearest competitor, thats all.
 
dont be naive. if microsoft were selling 20m consoles a year theres would be no reason to withold such positive info. its all about how to put your brand in the most positive light. its actually a smart move by microsoft to withhold sales information. i agree with it and have no problem with them doing so but acting like microsoft dont care about sales is very silly. of course they want to sell as many systems as possible. xbox isnt even performing badly but its just bad press for them when its a lot less than your nearest competitor, thats all.
I never said MS does not care about sales. All companies want to sell more of their products. It's just that MS doesn't focus ONLY on console sales because they can make money in more ways that other console makers. There is nothing naïve about that. MS is obviously selling more Game pass subscriptions than Sony is PS Now but they aren't always blasting out press releases on that either. Sometimes a person has to look outside the world of console gaming forums.
 
Leave it to VGChartz to try undercutting/downplaying Xbox outselling PlayStation in NA for even one month, by literally not bringing it up once in their supposed June 2021 sales "article".

Wasn't this source banned for a reason? You can't even call this journalism, they literally skip around talking about actual June NPD sales for obvious reasons :LOL:
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
If console sales were important to them as they claim, Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite would be exclusive titles for the Xbox Series S/X.

Instead, they pledged to support the Xbox one consoles until 2023. That tells me there goal is to increase and maintain game pass users because that’s the only reason they would do that.

Doing a small move like making Halo infinite an exclusive Series X/S title would have increased the sales and interest in the Series S/X consoles but they didn’t do that because they don’t care about how many Series consoles they sell, they want Xbox to transform into a service that’s why.
MS started releasing XGS games on PC because Xbox One didn't sell as they think it would. There were times when Microsoft was estimating that Xbox One will sell 1 billion units (!). When their plans failed, they started releasing games on PC because they have to recover game development costs somehow. It doesn't mean that Xbox consoles are not that important for MS.

If consoles weren't important, they wouldn't be subsidizing both Xbox Series X and S and marketing them so heavily. Why sell something at a loss when it's not important to you.
 
Isn't Sony doing something similar?
No,

Returnal, Demon Souls and Ratchet and Clank Rift apart are all 100% PS5 exclusive games. I don't think MS plans to release first party Series X/S exclusive games until after 2023.
MS started releasing XGS games on PC because Xbox One didn't sell as they think it would. There were times when Microsoft was estimating that Xbox One will sell 1 billion units (!). When their plans failed, they started releasing games on PC because they have to recover game development costs somehow. It doesn't mean that Xbox consoles are not that important for MS.

If consoles weren't important, they wouldn't be subsidizing both Xbox Series X and S and marketing them so heavily. Why sell something at a loss when it's not important to you.
I think they are only selling the Series X/S because they know a good segment of gamers still prefer to play on console but once Xcloud, the TV dongle (Xbox chromecast) and the Xbox Smart TV app gets rolling I think you will see them move farther away from pushing the consoles.
 
No,

Returnal, Demon Souls and Ratchet and Clank Rift apart are all 100% PS5 exclusive games. I don't think MS plans to release first party Series X/S exclusive games until after 2023.

I think they are only selling the Series X/S because they know a good segment of gamers still prefer to play on console but once Xcloud, the TV dongle (Xbox chromecast) and the Xbox Smart TV app gets rolling I think you will see them move farther away from pushing the consoles.
MS Flight Simulator 2020 is not on the X1 at all and it is coming out next week. This is a little earlier than 2023 hehe.

There is no way that MS will drop traditional console gaming when most of the world doesn't have internet fast enough to stream reliably. MS has the capacity to support console gaming and streaming simultaneously. They are already proving that.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
No,

Returnal, Demon Souls and Ratchet and Clank Rift apart are all 100% PS5 exclusive games. I don't think MS plans to release first party Series X/S exclusive games until after 2023.

I think they are only selling the Series X/S because they know a good segment of gamers still prefer to play on console but once Xcloud, the TV dongle (Xbox chromecast) and the Xbox Smart TV app gets rolling I think you will see them move farther away from pushing the consoles.
Eventually, like in a few years, yeah xCloud will become more popular, at least in a few first-world countries.

But I think that's still a few years away when streaming > consoles (in terms of the number of users, so roughly > 30 million Xbox xCloud users). As of now though, I believe console sales are very important for both companies because that's the primary medium for the majority of their players.

More console sales also lead to more revenue via platform sales cut and third-party MTX money.
 
No,

Returnal, Demon Souls and Ratchet and Clank Rift apart are all 100% PS5 exclusive games. I don't think MS plans to release first party Series X/S exclusive games until after 2023.

But some of the big IPs like God of War and Horizon Forbidden West are crossgen.

Edit: I almost forgot GT7.
 
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I never said MS does not care about sales. All companies want to sell more of their products. It's just that MS doesn't focus ONLY on console sales because they can make money in more ways that other console makers. There is nothing naïve about that. MS is obviously selling more Game pass subscriptions than Sony is PS Now but they aren't always blasting out press releases on that either. Sometimes a person has to look outside the world of console gaming forums.

I get that but my point was more that these companies carefully decide what information to publically put out there to give them a positive buzz. Sony do the same thing. They couldnt brag fast enough when they have a new ip that breaks their previous record but when they have a game that doesn't like, days gone, they stay silent even though it still performed well. Or when they started combining vita and ps3 sales to try and take the focus away from the poor performance of the vita.
 
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MrFunSocks

Banned
But that'll be the case with any unofficial source sharing these numbers. They'd all be made up because they aren't official.

And while we will be able to match PS5 numbers eventually when Sony releases their official reports, we will never know the truth regarding Xbox numbers because MS won't release numbers officially.
These aren't just unofficial though - they're made up. Based on nothing.

I get that but my point was more that these companies carefully decide what information to publically put out there to give them a positive buzz. Sony do the same thing. They couldnt brag fast enough when they have a new ip that breaks their previous record but when they have a game that doesn't like, days gone, they stay silent even though it still performed well. Or when they started combining vita and ps3 sales to try and take the focus away from the poor performance of the vita.
Sure, and that makes sense, but with MS it's a bit different because as a whole company they completely shifted their reporting metrics and their measures of success. They're now very much a services company. They don't report sales of Surface devices even though we know they're good. Why? Because that's not what their business is focusing on. They are focusing on user/customer engagement and services. They don't care what hardware you buy as long as you're using their services. They care about recurring revenue, especially recurring revenue that is subscription based. They don't really care if you buy an xbox if you then don't continue buying games or subscribing to game pass because you're not a reliable revenue source. A sale by itself is almost meaningless to them. Why do you think they released Game Pass on PC? They haven't made any money from that customer, no hardware sale.

Their shareholders are fine with this. Look at their share price since they stopped reporting xbox sales. If it was really a big deal they'd have been dragged across the coals by shareholders.
 
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Sure, and that makes sense, but with MS it's a bit different because as a whole company they completely shifted their reporting metrics and their measures of success. They're now very much a services company. They don't report sales of Surface devices even though we know they're good. Why? Because that's not what their business is focusing on. They are focusing on user/customer engagement and services. They don't care what hardware you buy as long as you're using their services. They care about recurring revenue, especially recurring revenue that is subscription based. They don't really care if you buy an xbox if you then don't continue buying games or subscribing to game pass because you're not a reliable revenue source. A sale by itself is almost meaningless to them. Why do you think they released Game Pass on PC? They haven't made any money from that customer, no hardware sale.

Their shareholders are fine with this. Look at their share price since they stopped reporting xbox sales. If it was really a big deal they'd have been dragged across the coals by shareholders.

sales is mostly just used as ammunition for fanboy wars anyway. i guess it wouldnt be so bad if sony and nintendo stopped reporting them too just give us big milestones like 50m and 100m. it is still a very useful metric though to gauge the performance of a product. more sales is always better isnt it regardless of where the focus is. also, what is the split between gamepass users on pc and on xbox? do we have any info on this?
 
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Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Great news for both companies.
Though console sale figures are only a part of the picture now.
I expect xbox series consoles to surpass xbox one by about 100%, PS5 will be a little less then the PS4 due to better and more competition.
 
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