In Sony’s latest financial report, the PlayStation 5 has now shipped more than 84.2 million units, putting it just ahead of the Xbox 360 by roughly 200,000 units. It also places the PS5 close behind the PlayStation 3, marking it as one of Sony’s fastest-selling consoles despite a more challenging market.
What makes that figure even more impressive is that Sony increased hardware prices this generation and introduced cost-saving revisions, such as smaller internal storage. Yet, the PS5 continues to build momentum. Xbox, meanwhile, has also raised prices but struggled to maintain the same traction with its Series X | S hardware.
The Xbox problem
If you’re like me and have fond memories of the Xbox 360, you’ll know just how much of a cultural impact that console had. Xbox Live shaped an entire generation of online play, setting the standard for friends lists, voice chat, and multiplayer matchmaking. With games like Halo, Gears of War, Fable, Call of Duty, and GTA IV defining its era, it’s no wonder the Xbox 360 was the closest Xbox that ever came to the sun, selling around 84 million units during its lifecycle.
That success, however, was short-lived. Under Don Mattrick, the Xbox One launched with a heavy focus on non-gaming features like TV, entertainment apps, and DRM policies—paired with a higher price tag than the PlayStation 4. It was a fumble that handed momentum straight to Sony, and Xbox has never fully recovered from that misstep.
Mattrick’s tenure had its share of controversy. He allegedly axed the in-development Halo MMO, Titan, to protect a personal bonus — a move that could have cost Xbox a billion-dollar opportunity, and one I’m still bitter about.
Even so, the Xbox One still sold a respectable 58 million consoles, but it was a far cry from the 360’s peak. Thanks to Phil Spencer and others within Xbox, the brand slowly regained trust through initiatives like backward compatibility, the Xbox One X, and a renewed focus on player choice. Those efforts laid the groundwork for the Xbox Series X and S, which carried that philosophy into the current generation.
The Xbox Series X and S are, for all intents and purposes, fantastic hardware. Some might even argue that Xbox is the only company this generation that truly innovated. Features like Quick Resume, extensive backward compatibility, and Game Pass show how Microsoft built a genuinely player-friendly ecosystem (or at least they did before price hikes).
But even with all those strengths, it hasn’t been enough. Xbox Series sales sit at around 30 million units, a far cry from Sony’s momentum. With Microsoft’s third-party publishing push and exclusivity fading across the industry, it’s become harder than ever to convince players to join the ecosystem.
I maintain that the Series X and S are fantastic consoles, but Xbox’s biggest hurdle is marketing—or rather, its lack of it. Anyone in Europe will notice the difference immediately. PlayStation and Nintendo dominate billboards, buses, and phone booths, while Xbox is barely visible despite a strong release slate with Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Ninja Gaiden 4. To the average consumer, many of these games barely exist or are even connected to the Xbox as a brand, and that’s a shame for hardware this good.
I could point to Xbox’s Activision acquisition, which has arguably created as many problems as it solved, accelerating its shift toward third-party publishing — but at this stage, that feels like beating a battered corpse. Instead, it’s worth looking at how Xbox seems almost allergic to putting its branding on its biggest IPs, from Minecraft to Call of Duty. The Minecraft movie nearly grossed a billion dollars at the box office, yet there wasn’t a single hint of Xbox branding anywhere. For a company trying to sell an ecosystem, that feels like the most obvious opportunity in the world to miss.
Xbox’s Next Chapter Depends on Reinvention
If leaks and rumors are to be believed, Xbox is betting big on the next generation, aiming to reshape what people consider a “console.” In some ways, it’s already begun doing that with devices like the Xbox Ally, its first handheld built in collaboration with ASUS.
Creating a true console–PC hybrid could be a significant step forward, but it might not be enough if Xbox can’t effectively market its hardware and convince players that this is the best value for their money. The next generation will demand not just innovation, but visibility — and that’s where Xbox still needs to prove itself now more than ever.
FAQ
How many PlayStation 5 consoles have been sold?
PlayStation 5 has shipped more than 84.2 million units worldwide.
Has the PlayStation 5 officially outsold every Xbox console?
Yes. With over 84 million units shipped, the PS5 has surpassed the lifetime sales of every Xbox system, including the Xbox 360, which previously held the record at around 84 million units sold.
How many Xbox consoles have sold in total?
Estimates put lifetime sales roughly at 24 million for the original Xbox, 84 million for the Xbox 360, 58 million for the Xbox One, and around 30 million for the Xbox Series X | S, bringing the total close to 196 million units across all generations.
Does this mean Xbox is failing?
Not necessarily. Xbox has pivoted toward services like Game Pass and cloud gaming, but in terms of console sales, PlayStation is far ahead.
Could Xbox ever reclaim its former glory?
It’s possible, but it would require a major hit exclusive, stronger hardware adoption, and a shift in global market perception.
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