Hmm, what most of us suspected. Microsoft has provided a rare insight into the total Xbox One sales figure, confirming that sales of its immediate competitor, PlayStation 4, were easily more than double.
The claimed figures suggest that Microsoft sold less than 58.6 million units throughout the generation, falling well behind the 117.2 million that Sony moved for the PS4. Nintendo Switch also put up an equally solid fight, selling some 111.08 million of the handheld unit.
All this has been revealed in a new filing.
According to the translation provided, Microsoft has confirmed that Sony surpassed it in terms of console sales and install base, having sold more than twice as many Xbox One units in the last generation.
Microsoft submitted this document to the Brazil Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) as it awaits regulatory approval on its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The blockbuster acquisition is currently moving through regulatory approval across the globe.
As you may recall, Xbox One launched in 2013. However, lackluster sales due to various factors meant that the console faced an uphill battle since its arrival—so much so that Microsoft eventually stopped reporting sales numbers soon after.
Back then, the company said that it had shifted its focus from console sales to overall engagement. Later, financials used Xbox Live members as a key metric moving forward. This growing focus on services led to the eventual launch of Xbox Game Pass.
This makes it the first official update on Xbox hardware sales figures since October 2015.
And confirms that PlayStation 4 had rapidly outpaced Microsoft devices during this previous generation.
