Xbox Series X vs PS5: Console and Game Sales Numbers – Jan2022

Microsoft and Sony have positioned the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 as next-gen gaming consoles with similar technical specs and selling price. The release dates of both of the consoles were also very close as the Xbox Series X released on 10th November 2020 and PlayStation 5 on 12th November 2020. So let’s find out which console has managed to win over fans by getting high sales for the platform.

Right after the release of PS5 and Xbox Series X, many scalpers were stockpiling the consoles and the early sales numbers didn’t necessarily translate into demand from fans. The scalpers have made it very difficult for general public to purchase these consoles. However, we now have sales numbers from the full first year of these console lifecycle, so we hope that the sales numbers will reflect the future trajectory. In addition to our comparison below, check out our article on 7 reasons why Xbox Series X is better than PlayStation 5.

VGChartz has gathered the latest sales numbers for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox One X|S Worldwide. The data is up to 08Jan2022. The total game console sales numbers are not very unpredictable as the Sony has sold 18 M units of PS5 and Microsoft has sold ~12 M units of Xbox Series X|S.

In comparison, Nintendo Switch sold 25.3 M units (50%) compared to 1.9 M units of PS4 (4%) and 1 M units of Xbox One (2%) during 2021. If we look at the total worldwide sales of game consoles, the Nintendo Switch has sold 102.7 M units, Sony PlayStation 4 has sold 116.8 M units and Microsoft Xbox One has sold 50.5 M units to date. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released back in November 2013, while the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017. Considering the late entry of the Nintendo Switch (5 years old), the sales numbers are quite remarkable as the switch already has 34% market share (up from 31% in 2020). In comparison, Xbox One has 17% (down from 20% in 2020) and Playstation 4 has massive 39% (down from 46%) market share over 9 years.

In terms of the sales trajectory, we can see that Playstation 4 and Xbox One sales have plateaued with only 2% gain year over year in 2021. Nintendo Switch has continued to have an impressive growth with 33% gain in sales over the previous year. The switch at 5 years old has almost caught up to Playstation 4, which came out almost 8 years ago. The other noteworthy trend is with Xbox Series X|S, as it seems to have a narrower gap with Playstation 5. If the Xbox Series X|S is able to improve this gap, it will be a win for Microsoft as the Xbox One sales were almost half of the Sony PlayStation 4.

The best selling global video games are listed below as well. The Grand Theft Auto V on PlayStation 4 continues to have strong sales numbers. In fact, the first four spots are taken by titles on the PS4 with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 in second place, Red Dead Redemption 2 in third and Call of Duty: WWII in fourth place. The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch made the top five list. The popularity of PS4 in Asia and Europe definitely translates in the sales numbers of video games as seven of the top ten video games were on the PS4 platform. In comparison, Grand Theft Auto V on the Xbox One platform took the last spot on top fifteen list.

Rank	Game Title	Console	Units Sold
1	Grand Theft Auto V	PS4	19.39m
2	Call of Duty: Black Ops 3	PS4	15.09m
3	Red Dead Redemption 2	PS4	13.94m
4	Call of Duty: WWII	PS4	13.40m
5	Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	NS	13.05m
6	FIFA 18	PS4	11.80m
7	Super Mario Odyssey	NS	11.71m
8	FIFA 17	PS4	10.94m
9	Uncharted 4: A Thief's End	PS4	10.33m
10	The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild	NS	9.46m
11	Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII	PS4	9.32m
12	FIFA 19	PS4	9.15m
13	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	NS	8.95m
14	Marvel's Spider-Man	PS4	8.76m
15	Grand Theft Auto V	XOne	8.72m

Source: VGChartz