(schematic / taken from pixabay)
According to “Sina Technology”, a document submitted by Microsoft to the Brazilian regulatory authority shows: “In terms of sales and ownership of video game consoles, SONY has surpassed Microsoft, and for the Xbox One generation, SONY PS4 sales are ours. twice as much.”
Today, SONY no longer reports its PS4 shipments, but as of March this year, it sold 117.2 million units.
While Microsoft didn’t provide specific sales figures for the Xbox One, the filing suggests it should be below 58.5 million units.
That number is in line with a 2020 study by market research firm Ampere Analysis, which showed that Xbox Ones had 51 million units by the end of the second quarter of 2020.
By comparison, the Nintendo Switch, which currently sells 111.08 million units, is expected to surpass the SONY PS4 later this year.
Still, Microsoft appears to be closing that huge gap with its Xbox Series S/X consoles.
Xbox One sales may be mediocre, but some of Microsoft’s work on the Xbox One has laid an important foundation for the Xbox Series S/X.
For example, the Xbox Series X launched with support for 1440p, variable refresh rate (VRR), and 120Hz gaming, all tested on the Xbox One.
Microsoft’s acknowledgment of weak Xbox One sales comes at a time when the industry is in a broader discussion about SONY and Microsoft.
In January of this year, Microsoft announced the acquisition of game development and interactive entertainment content publisher Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. After the transaction is completed, Microsoft will become the third-highest revenue game company in the world, after Tencent and SONY.
This article is published with the authorization of Pinwan, and the original title is “Microsoft admits Xbox One weakness: sales are less than half of Sony’s PS4」