Xbox Series X|S Sales Not Far Behind PS5, Analyst Says

The PS5 may have outsold the Xbox Series X|S as launch, but according to one analyst, the difference between the two platforms may not have been as great as you think. The PS5 sold about 4.5 million units in 2020, which accounted for about a month and a half, but the Xbox Series X is nearly keeping pace.

The estimate comes from analyst Daniel Ahmad from Niko Partners, who says the Xbox Series X|S sold "a bit over 1 million" fewer systems than the PS5. This would put it at a little under 3.5 million systems, which is nothing to scoff at when considering the supply shortages, pandemic restrictions, and price of the systems.

Following the Xbox Series X|S launch back in November, head of Xbox Phil Spencer said it was the largest launch in the brand's history. At the time, Ahmad estimated that meant more than 1 million units had to be sold, which would seemingly indicate a few million more were sold through the remainder of the year.

Because of its streaming platform and PC players, however, Xbox doesn't put as much emphasis on pure console sales as some of its competitors. At this point, Microsoft just wants you to get an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and play on whatever device you have, and if you're a "core" player, that likely means a fancy new machine. Late last month, The Medium was added to the service, and we were big fans of it. In GameSpot's The Medium review, Jordan Ramée appreciated the sound design as well as the supernatural environments.