As Of Last April, Xbox Series S Accounted For 75% Of Microsoft's Current-Gen Console Sales

Totally makes sense. Vast majority of people are casuals and don't care about the best hardware. They just want to play the games. The new gen of gamers care even less as they are used to playing games on phones and tablets. I only got the X cuz if the disk drive myself.

Wow that's quite astonishing! Looks like people really like the Series S, no doubt hugely helped by price and availability factors.
Well done for the little brother 👏.

I actually would have thought around what MS predicted 60/40 split would have been right. New the S was more popular but I’m surprised how much more.

No wonder they're so hard about feature parity.

Give people a cheaper option and that's what they'll go for.

Still no reason to punish those that ponied up the cash for the premium product.

Not that surprising with the inflation of food and everything else.
Gamers need to eat too.

I feel like Microsoft manufactures more Series S than Series X, though.

I have yet to ever see a Series X in the wild, but I have definitely seen Series S.

🤷‍♂️

Still, it's nice to see that the Series S strategy is paying off.

It's extremely good value for what it is. Absolutely love mine.

Still find it funny people a few weeks ago claiming that Microsoft selling the Series S was a mistake that they regret when it has clearly helped their sales massively.

Didn’t think the series s would be that high percentage wise.
In one way it’s sort of good, but in another it’s not great for series x sales percentage wise.
But then again currently series console sales are just about the same as Xbox one roughly.
So not exactly setting the world on fire.
I mean take Europe for the month of August 2023.
126K series against 600k for PS5 and about 240k for the Switch.
Even in the USA for August 2023 series about 160k behind the PS5.
Though it did beat the switch by 10k to take second place for a change.

I don’t think Microsoft drive consoles enough with maybe discounts and promotions like the other two do on occasions.
But as I say sell a console and get people into the Xbox eco system and maybe sell a game pass.

The main point is:
For everytime you are thousands behind the others in console sales per month it’s someone that’s has bought into the PS5 and Switch eco system and not the Xbox eco system, so it takes away from the Xbox eco system and I don’t think Microsoft have thought about it in that way.

Doesn't really surprise me, it was good price add in additional memory seagate or WD black (also good price) works a treat. I prefer digital so don't have to save boxes somewhere

I am shocked that so many people just don’t care about playing an inferior version.

The reality is most gamers don't care about having the most powerful hardware, just look at the success of Switch. If there was a lower priced weaker PS5 then that would be the best selling model and last gen when the Pro and One X launched, the standard consoles still sold better

I imagine that an awful lot of those people will have bought the console for one of two reasons (or maybe both!);

1. They were unable to source a Series X
or
2. It is to act as a second console to something like a PlayStation.

Either way, the S is a fantastic gateway to the Xbox ecosystem, though the parity clause does need to be something that can be flexible if it would mean that a sought after game would otherwise skip the Xbox completely, as would likely have happened with Baldur's Gate 3 were it not for some parity allowances...

From what I have heard the Series S has been a massive hit in countries like Brazil where the more expensive consoles are supposedly crazy expensive for them.

Personally I do not think the S is a mistake, @Lightning720, however, the parity clause is something that cannot be too rigid in its application. Yes, as much as possible games should be pretty much comparable on both systems, however, sometimes allowances must be made to enable games that might otherwise skip the Xbox to be slightly differing products on the S compared to the X, as happened with Baldur's Gate 3. To not have had the game that will win pretty much every Game of the Year award on your system for the sake of parity would have been a huge error of judgement. That said, if 75% of players have an S, it must take some serious consideration in order to make a decision about such things...

This is partly why Nintendo is so successful. Low price points matter. I know SOOOOO many people that got the PS5 and the XSS.
Bet me the play time numbers are more switched. XSX players probably play 65% more than XSS owners.

Expected. Despite last Gen having PS4 Pros and Xbone Xes, the most sold units were the cheaper base models: PS4 Slim and XBox One S.

This leads me to a grudge I had last Gen with reviewers: most reviewers would only play games on the most powerful model, not the most used models. With pro models, and with Series X|S, i think devs should at least give a bit of a test drive to most games on the hardware most readers are going to be experiencing.

@Maddie47 A game with missing features is better than no game at all.

The Series S was a stroke of genius. They knew they wouldn't convince too many Sony, Nintendo, or PC users to abandon their favorite platform but they might be able to convince them to grab a $300 system and maybe even a gamepass sub.

It would be interesting to know how many series s owners also have PS5 and/or Switch.
So it’s come in as their sort of second console.

@GamingFan4Lyf although supply likely has a lot to do, there’s a lot of people that just want to play their games and don’t care them look their best, as proven by the number of people playing multi-platform games on the switch or on minimum spec PCs.

I would say 95% of people would not know the difference between Series S and X if put in front of them. I think that is a good thing.

This is like buying a luxury car vs a mass produced sedan. Most people will buy sedan because it is affordable, does what they need a car to do, and they don't want to spend the money on a luxury car. People buy the luxury car because they are serious about comfort, status, or their vehicles in general and/or have the extra money.

I like the choice to spend more or less but still be able to play all next generation games.

All the points everyone on here made are very true, so i won’t repeat them. But i will take a different spin on price and performance. I have a 10 year old step daughter. Love her like she’s mine. I have bought her her own Switch lite that she asked for. We have a media/Game room. It has around $4000 dollars in surround sound, a 65 inch Oled LG, PS5, Series X and Switch Oled. Downstairs in the living room we have a 55 inch LG Oled a Nintendo switch, and i would like to add another Series X to it at some point. When my little one is here alone she won’t touch her Switch or any of my consoles. Yet will play mobile games on her iPad and iPhone until we make her stop. One day her 13 and 14 year old cousins were over and they seen my setup and wanted to play Roblox and among us on the big screen. They all played on it for 15 mins and went back to their mobile devices. My point is kids and many teenagers are playing Fortnite and lesser graphic intensive games to begin with, but then double down on playing those in the lesser graphical way on mobile vs consoles. This isn’t just my household. Many many kids and Teens don’t care much for consoles and performance. So this is were i think the average player that does want a console doesn’t put up much of a argument with their parents on a S over the more expensive X. Everyone on this site is a enthusiast, everyone playing Madden and FIFA, Fortnite and GTA 5 online only care that they have a way to play and not performance. Will they grow up to be more willing to pay for performance or will we continue to see a lower spec cheaper console option going forward? I don’t know, but it seems to me to be working and here to stay for a while. I also fear my 10 year old will never support console later in life and consoles could be on the decline to mobile even further in 15 years.

Series S is amazing for it´s price. The ***** it gets are nothing worth when it sell as god as it does.

Interesting since there is 75% chance a game will not to run as it was intended to run in this generation.

Please for goodness sake, end the series S. The series x is the far superior console and experience.

@niggyt2004 Add in the segate memory in the price and could have bought the series x for honestly about same price. Also having the better experience with that purchase.

Those are pretty surprising figures! I definitely like my little Series S powerhouse. I just wanted something to replace my original Xbox One with, and the One ended up paying for half of the total cost of a Series S.

@Maddie47 @Chandu And having a QB with one leg or no legs is better than no QB at all?

The Series S + Gamepass combo is massively popular and accessible in 3rd world countries. YOu can get a brand new Series S for cheaper than a used PS4 in many cases.

The amount of whining in the comments you'd think this is a PlayStation site 😂

Honestly, my only issue with the Series X existence from the start was the memory limitations. Smaller, slower ram was going to bite them in the ass. I said it back then very loudly (I mean, as laid as pure Xbox comments can be without being moderated) but was eventually calmed and convinced it could work out for most games. Sadly “most games” wasn’t enough and we have seen that come back to bite Xbox.

I’m not sure they would have been able to make the Series S for only $300 with the same memory as the Series X, though.

@HonestHick Understand everything you shared. Yet I will NEVER understand why someone wants to play on an 8 inch screen, squinting to see what it going on, versus sitting comfy on a couch with 65+ inch 4k UHD TV with good sound system.

Makes no sense. Zero sense.

@FatalBubblesas as long as they have fun with their games I don't imagine they really care about the tech difference in the slightest or that they could have a "better version"

It's easy to forget that folks like us who come to a site like this are the minority. The majority just play their games, have fun and live their lives.

@NeoRatt I went from an s to an x because I needed a larger ssd and the prices are insane for expansion cards. I honestly can’t tell the difference in the visuals. But I do like the black system.

Btw I play on a 75 inch 4K Samsung.

I just keep getting more and more worried about physical going by the wayside. I see this, plus the possible Brooklyn console, and it's more and more people in on all digital. Ah well, i guess it IS more convenient and i'm just a bit old fashioned liking having the game in my hand, having a stack on my shelf. I like my steel case starfield sitting on the table while i play. Even with physical you still have to sit there and install in on the console. and it's nice to just be able to swap back and forth with games without getting up and taking one out and putting next in.

Why anyone would wanna buy this wish xbox is beyond me ,its a slightly more powerful xbox one x

@GuyinPA75 you said it. I don’t get it either. Makes no sense to me either. Other than when i was a kid a console or pc is all we had for gaming. It’s all we know. I didn’t even love my Nintendo handhelds at home. Those were mainly played on the go or when i stayed at my grandma’s house. But times change and we can’t deny the number of players on tablet screens and even smaller phone screens. Make no dang sense to me either haha

@GamingFan4Lyf I believe you are right about more Series S being manufactured. It is easier for them, and production is more likely to produce functioning APUs acceptable for the S. Less RAM required, too. Series X components had to go into the XCloud servers.

I see Series X in the wild now (along with PS5). For a long time, that was not the case. I think it started showing up earlier this year, with the Diablo 4 version.

In my country, a Series S costs $700+ dollars. I don't even want to look Series X's prices.
A PS5 costs like $1200. It's crazy expensive gaming in some countries.

The extra (minimum) 30 fps and 500 gigs of internal space is worth the $200 price difference. My Series X and a household member's PS5 have delayed my plans to build a gaming pc that would easily exceed the price of both consoles combined.

Edit: I couldn't justify the bargain price of $500 for the AMD 6800XT when I get my gaming fix with Gamepass and the PS5 that is consoleshared with me.

The typical top selling game on Steam is the Steam deck. The Switch sold way more than the PS4 or the XB1. If you want an older example, the PS2 was weaker than the original XBox and the GameCube. There are tons of examples of cheaper or weaker systems outselling more powerful ones. It's harder to find an example of people choosing the more powerful option.

I have been a original xbox console fan from the start. My first ever game was Halo on xbox.
I have bought most Xbox console apart from Xbox Series s Which I have Xbox Series x and no regret on that.
But I understand why people would buy the Xbox Series s. Because people want to get Xbox console and a good deal
But with the Xbox Series s being a good price, especially with 1tb now. It make sense that it higher sale than Xbox Series x. Plus on Xbox store. Gamers can get good deals games sale for Xbox Series s, and add 1tb ssd card. It can work out a good price console to buy.

But I like my Xbox Series x and extra 1tb ssd. But it good that Xbox gamers can choose between two great Xbox Series Console.

I have mine for 360 games and check in 1 or 2 times a year for new games to play with bing points

I can imagine retail/dev mode emulation is a good portion.

@Gollum it's sales bud not counting Dev kits pointless counting them not everyone is obsessed with the resolution or fps they just want to play games and the series s is perfect for that

I for one bought a Series S last year, primarily because I couldn't easily find a PS5 or series X in stock to buy.

I had no idea what the X/S sales split was, but it doesn't surprise me the ratio being what it is, as buying an X was constrained by lack of availability for a long time.

A lot of people still out there with <4K TVs.

I personally know two who say 720p/1080p is “fine” and refuse to upgrade (TVs as well as from previous console generation).

The main reason I didnt get a series X over s was because I knew I wouldn't buy any physical games. Seems like a waste of money to invest in an x when I have zero desire to buy physical games.

@sixrings
Many people can't see any difference between HD and 4K even on a large TV like yours (I also have a 75" Samsung). TV processors also help to reduce the difference between HD and 4K native feeds. Some of the highest end TVs pretty much make the difference between 4K and HD not discernable with the naked eye.

If money is an issue, to me the Series S is a very good choice.

I agree with the issue on cost of the expansion cards. They are ridiculous, but in a few years they will continue to get cheaper and cheaper as they are mass produced more and more. LOL. in 1993 I installed 6 full height 5 1/4 SCSI hard drives in a system and we thought it was an insane amount of storage and each drive cost $7,500 USD! Now companies give away 128 GB SD USB drives as freebies that are 20x times faster. Same will happen to these nVME drives over time as they become used in every computer.

A lot of us are first time xbox users because of the Series S and i am certain this goes for a lot of people.

The low entry point is the main reason I got it. Would not have gotten an xbox for £449

Not surprised really as the Series S is most likely brought by PS5 and Switch owners as a secondary console and by parents for a console in their kids room

All I know is it worked for me. Because I couldnt get a PS5 or Series X at launch so I settled for the Series S to check out GPU and play Cyberpunk (lol). Now I bought a Series X as well because I wanted more power and because I'm extremely happy with what the Xbox offer. Especially because this is the first Xbox I've ever owned.

I wonder if MS were aiming to be everyone's 2nd console with this, the way the Wii was, and by that logic end up being 1st, like the Wii. Feels like that's what's happening with the S being the primary Xbox console. I'm actually surprised how low the Xbox sales are though Vs PS5 though.
Also wonder if this encourages MS to release less powerful consoles in future. Switch trouncing them all and least powerful console!

As part of my job I visit a lot of peoples homes. During my visits I always take notice of clients game collections and consoles on their shelves and tv units.
I can report I have seen more Series S units than PS5 and Series X put together, at least in the UK anyway.

@ChromeMud That highest end offering would cost more than double the Series X (current highest tier console).

I can definitely see backfiring. Many more hardcore gamers either could not afford, or would simply refuse to pay so much out of principle….The former may hold out for a price drop (abandoning the mid-tier offering), while the latter may boycott the Xbox brand altogether.

@ebony-shabba What I am saying is a good percent of those sales are from people wanting a emulation box to play old school games, you know what the developer mode app that you can buy on you're Xbox can do right? But I'll word it better next time.

That’s crazy. I would have thought a split of around 60/40 in favour of S but 75/25 is significant. I still don’t like the approach Xbox took having 2 separate systems and still think we’ll see the X suffer for it going forward but as a business decision it has been a success, there’s clearly a market for it.

@Gollum yeah I get u still don't agree people buy the series s to play all games especially this gen games otherwise why not just stick with Xbox one. The series x is more powerful but series s is more successful

I never said people don't, I'm in that boat, i love graphics, next gen games but I bought a series s after the series X for retail emulation (when it was possible) with a separate account, plenty of people bought one in the homebrew community including my friends, you can still play next gen games and do emulation at the same time, try it dude it's really good, the consoles are that good it's possible to upscale old games up to 4k.

I do think lot of usual Playstation only gamers will bought Series S as second console. I always been Playstation, never bought Xbox. This gen i bought PS5 on release an my twin boys Series S. Boys decided they want Series S in their play room so i bought Series X for living room with PS5. It was Series S that got me in to Xbox echo system.

Pure Logic. Series X hasn't been available for absolutely ages in Europe, but Series S was everywhere. The situation is better now, but it can still be hard to find a Series X now and then.

lol Microsoft can’t even sell a next gen console correctly. Everyone gets the ps5 then puts up with the baby xbox. Time to bow out Xbox time to bow out with grace.

Lol 😂

Like it or not Series S is their primary console this generation and that is why they won't just suddenly be dropping support for it because people who don't own one think they should because they feel it is holding the generation back. Without it I can't imagine the vast majority of those people would have simply decided to buy a Series X if that was their only option. If anything the Series S has stopped them falling even further behind in terms of hardware sales compared to the PS5.

IGN's article already been edited with new data, 50/50.

https://www.ign.com/articles/leaked-microsoft-documents-show-the-xbox-series-s-might-be-more-popular-than-you-think

@carlos82 I doubt that, you can get a cheaper PS5, the all digital model yet the disk version outsells it massively. Despite Sony claiming 60 to 70% of game sales are digital.

@S1ayeR74 Sony also manufacture many times more of the disc version, so it would be impossible for the digital to get even remotely close to its sales. At this moment the standard digital model is unavailable on Amazon and Playstation's own store.

Also last gen, the standard PS4 remained the best selling version after the Pro came out