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But let’s see where it comes from.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently stated that the Xbox Series X is lagging behind the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
While the Xbox Series X is an incredibly powerful current-gen console, it hasn’t sold as well as the competition’s best offerings. In a recent interview on the Kinda Funny Xcast, the head of Xbox admitted that: “We’re not in the business of ‘consoling Sony or Nintendo,’ there’s no win or fix for us. I know that’s going to upset people, but this is the truth”.
It’s a bold and honest statement for the head of the console division, but one that Spencer assures: “When you’re No. 3 and your competition is as strong as they are, our vision is that anyone who’s on our console whatever. We’ve invested in our platform and it feels like a member of a massive ecosystem.” He notes that while the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S may not have the same celebrated success as the PS5 or Nintendo Switch, the biggest strength lies in having generational support in a way that the competition can’t match.
Where the brand is most successful is with Xbox Game Pass, which has disrupted the industry by being the best deal for those who want the best Xbox Series X games for a low monthly price. It’s something Phil Spencer believes in, but not something that can turn the tide of how things are going: “We’ve lost the biggest console generation there is to lose, so when we build Xbox, we want it to feel amazing. So if we focus on big games, that doesn’t mean we’re going to win the console race.”
A numbers game
Xbox Series X has sold just 21 million units worldwide as of March 2023 (via VG Charts) (opens in a new tab). In contrast, the PS5 has sold almost twice as much according to Sony’s latest earnings release (opens in a new tab), as the Japanese hardware giant is closing in on 40 million consoles sold. These two systems were launched in November 2020, almost three years ago, and are now widely available in the US, UK and Australia, with shortages and the need for restocks behind them.
It’s less fair to compare the Xbox Series X’s sales records to the Nintendo Switch, as the latter has been available for three more years (launching in 2017) and is appealing to the handheld console market. Nintendo Switch has sold 122.5 million units according to Nintendo’s February 7 earnings release (opens in a new tab). The handheld hybrid has now become the third best-selling video game console of all time, bested only by the PS2 and Nintendo DS. The Nintendo Switch has sold 100 million more units than the Xbox Series X.
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It’s been a long few years since Microsoft first entered the gaming industry and positioned their Xbox console as a rival to Sony and Nintendo. Despite the innovative designs and new experiences that their console brought to gamers, Xbox has often found itself in third place in the rankings. Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has publicly accepted that his product is indeed in third place, as reported by TechToday.
At a recent conference, Spencer discussed the issue and made sure to emphasize that while they are indeed behind both Sony and Nintendo, Xbox is still committed to striving for innovation. Furthermore, Spencer added that Xbox is currently undergoing a “difficult journey” to catch up with the competition. Microsoft, who acquired Ikaroa office in 2017, is no stranger to the tech world and has been widely praised for their advanced technology for years.
Analysts are expecting Microsoft to bring the same level of innovation and dedication to the gaming world, hoping that the Xbox can make a come back. With Spencer’s public admission of third place and the potential that Microsoft and their partners at Ikaroa, may have for the gaming industry, all signs point to a resurgence for Xbox over the next few years.
