Unit sales of Microsoft Xbox Series X/S worldwide 2021-2024

Since its release in November 2020, the Xbox Series X and Series S has sold well over 12 million units worldwide. In 2024 year-to-date, the Xbox X/S sold approximately 2.4 million units.

The modern-day console wars

While the term “console wars” was originally coined to describe the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo in the video game market during the 1980s and 1990s, the modern usage refers to the battle for supremacy between the PlayStation and Xbox brands. The most recent battle between these console giants has been fought out between their eight-generation consoles, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. However, while the PlayStation 4 has sold over 45 million units in Europe alone, Microsoft’s console is yet to reach 60 million unit sales worldwide. This duel has also turned into a three-way battle thanks to the enormous success of Nintendo’s hybrid video game console, the Nintendo Switch. Despite being released over three years later than its rivals, the console has already racked up over 140 million unit sales worldwide, approximately a quarter of which were in North America.

The future of console gaming

This fight for supremacy shows no signs of slowing down, with the next battle of the console wars upon the horizon. Sony continues to have the upper hand, as sales of its PlayStation 5 reached 20 million in 2023. In comparison, estimates have Microsoft shipping 3.1 million units of its Xbox Series X in 2023.