According to analysts, the Xbox console is facing an upward trend in 2025. (Image source: nature.floor via Adobe Stock)
The duel between Microsoft and Sony in the context of the current console generation for the favor of buyers actually only has one winner: the PlayStation 5 simply sells much better than the Xbox Series X/S.
As of September 2024, the PS5 had sold around 61.7 million units, while the Xbox Series models “only” sold 28.3 million units in the same period (via Wall Street Journal).
If analyst and managing director of the market research institute Circana Matt Piscatella has his way, the future looks much better for Microsoft and its Xbox consoles. At least that's what Piscatella said in an interview with the GamesRadar+ portal.
As a result, Microsoft also benefits indirectly from the better sales figures of the Sony PlayStation. More and more titles from Microsoft can be found in their game charts, which in turn has a positive effect on the developer and the Xbox brand:
If you look at the current sales figures, e.g. E.g. the PlayStation sales charts, you'll see a lot of Microsoft there[-Titel]. And the more they can expand the appeal of their products and their franchises to other platforms, why shouldn't they?
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Sony with a similar multiplatform strategy
This is also the key to future success. Although Microsoft has actually shown falling sales figures for consoles, increasing the Xbox brand reach far beyond the actual console should be seen as a “key initiative”.
This is also consistently implemented by the company, so that »from this perspective [Xbox]-The future looks pretty bright, although there have certainly been bumpy years.”
According to Piscatella, the declining hardware sales that Microsoft is struggling with have no longer been significant in the wake of the company's multiplatform strategy.
- Microsoft is not alone with this strategy. In recent years, Sony has also released more games not only for the PlayStation, but also for the PC.
- However, the Xbox developers are much more aggressive with their approach, so the Microsoft console has an upward trend this year.
Game Pass also plays a role – but it needs to be rethought
The Game Pass game subscription is also a driving factor in Piscatella's analysis. Although declining numbers can be observed here, as with the Xbox console, the subscription is extremely important for the brand itself, according to Piscatella.
However, to maximize success, Microsoft needs to change its strategy and use Game Pass more as a marketing machine. According to analysts, with this change of direction the company could “promote sales increases on other platforms and ecosystems.”
