In the battle of the consoles, it appears that yet again, Xbox has fallen behind its nearest competitor, Sony. According to recent reports, sales of the Xbox Series X and S have seen a substantial decline in Europe, with figures stating they are down an alarming 52% compared to that of the PlayStation 5, which has seen sales increase by around 143%.
It is clear that the PS5 is the top console right now, and many Xbox owners must be disappointed that the company has done little to challenge its nearest rival. Spending more time on acquisitions rather than producing exclusives that fans are crying out for has seen Microsoft slip further behind Sony in terms of console sales and reputation.
What Has Happened to the Sales of Xbox Consoles?
Looking at the latest report from GI.biz, we can see the figures showing a dramatic downturn in fortunes for both of the Xbox consoles, and looking at the nearest competitors, both Sony and Nintendo, their sales figures show substantial growth and positivity. While it may not be surprising to many in the industry, it should certainly be setting off alarm bells for Microsoft.
As per the GI report, we can see that the figures on a month-to-month basis show how poorly Xbox is faring against other consoles. Sales of the PS5 saw an 11% increase in October compared to the previous month, and sales of the Switch saw a 10% increase in October, again compared to September. However, Xbox sales saw a decline of 20% for October compared to the previous month.
So just what has gone wrong for Microsoft, and why is there such a decline in sales? Well, what is clear from the view of many Xbox fans is that there is a distinct lack of exclusives available for the consoles, unlike their competitors over at Sony. The hype for Starfield before its release in September saw renewed excitement for many, but even that has fallen away as the game was described by many as underwhelming.
Also, for many gamers, the hype for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game and indeed for Super Mario Bros. Wonder saw these titles break game sales records upon release in October for their respective consoles. With Starfield being released the previous month, the Xbox had nothing to offer in terms of competition for October, and this may be a factor in why sales have plummeted.
GI.biz head of games Chris Dring highlighted that Xbox has never had a very good footing in Europe and that PlayStation has always been the dominant force, accounting for around 80% of the market and Microsoft a paltry 20%. He went on to say,
However, even in the UK, which is a market where Xbox is a lot more competitive it’s been a tough year, with Xbox Series S and X sales down 23% year-to-date. The reality is the console has very little momentum, which is such a crucial element when it comes to how successful a generation is or isn’t for a platform holder.
While the sales of Starfield improved the fortunes of the company for some time, they have not been able to sustain this, and with a lack of exclusives, there isn’t the hype for many to pick up the consoles compared to others on the market. After parting with billions of dollars in the Activision Blizzard deal, it remains to be seen how Phil Spencer intends to address the downturn in sales.
With Microsoft continuing its campaign of acquisitions, it is clear that it is focused on the expansion of the company and looking to the future. However, with the alarming figures highlighting the steady decline in terms of sales, it may be that it will have to focus more on keeping the players it already has before they get fed up and jump the ship to competitors.
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