Microsoft sells 2 million Xbox Ones, announces new support patch

Xbox One is Microsoft's next-generation video console, which launched just shy of three weeks ago. The company has today announced that more than 2 million consoles have been sold to consumers worldwide, reportedly averaging over 111,111 (see what they did there?) units per day. 

Microsoft previously unveiled some humorous, albeit rather pointless figures that included how many zombies have been slain in Dead Rising 3, as well as how many miles have been driven in Forza 5. We now have official numbers to play with when talking about the Xbox One launch and it's looking rather positive.

Alongside the 2 million units sold, Microsoft also boasts that over 83 million hours have been spent in games, watching TV and running apps on the console since launch. The Xbox One is certainly difficult to get hold of currently, with retailers erecting "sold out" signage to greet disgruntled consumers who wish to pick one up before the year is out.

Here's what John Love, director of video games at Amazon, had to say on the popularity of the Xbox One:

"Demand for next generation gaming continues to be very strong. At peak demand, customers were ordering the Xbox One console at over 1000 units per minute on Amazon.com."

Gamestop also noted the Xbox One as one of the hottest selling products this holiday season. We previously looked at the Xbox One taking the crown as the top seller on Black Friday and Microsoft states that the Xbox team is working hard to meet consumer demand, delivering units to retailers with haste. 

Xbox One Achievements

Achievements are an interesting addition to the games you enjoy, providing goals and missions to unlock the sense of achievement while continuing through addictive gameplay. It's always good to have more bragging rights with a score card too. In any case, be sure to pat yourselves on the back as over 39 million Xbox One achievements have been unlocked, totally 595 million Gamerscore. 

New system patches began rolling out

Not only have we got official figures and the like, but the Xbox team has released a support patch for Xbox One.

Xbox One

The updating process is slightly different on Xbox One, compared to what we're used to back on the Xbox 360. Should you have your console configured for "Instant On," it will download the update in the background when turned off (note that the console powers down after downloading the update, so "Xbox On" command won't work).

The next time you boot the console, it will automatically start patching. You'll sit at the Xbox One logo screen for a few minutes before being launched into the Home screen. If you're not using the "Instant On" feature, you will be required to download the update this Thursday.

Here's what this patch addresses:

  • Addresses SmartGlass issues for some users when coming in and out of connected standby
  • Addresses multiplayer issues for some users when re-joining games
  • Addresses issues with inconsistent notifications for some users
  • Addresses dashboard performance for some users
  • Offers improvements for Xbox One’s TV, system update, and content update services for scaling over time
  • Updated wireless networking driver to improve connectivity issues for some users

If you have any suggestions or ideas as to how the Xbox One could be improved, be sure to head on over to the Xbox feedback website and let Microsoft know. How are you enjoying your new console?

Source: Major Nelson, Xbox News

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.