Microsoft has announced that the November 22 launch of the Xbox One is the company’s best console launch yet, with over 1 million units sold around the world. That far outstrips the launch of the Xbox 360, which shipped just over 1.5 million total units in its first two months.
Despite the news, we probably won’t know the exact sales figures for either the Xbox One of the PlayStation 4 until Microsoft and Sony release their quarterly results. Regardless, the sale of 1 million consoles is likely enough to make Microsoft very happy going into the holiday shopping season. More units are expected on store shelves in the next few weeks, and that “1 million sold” figure should expand significantly.
“Xbox One is now sold out at most retailers,” Microsoft claimed in a statement. “We are working to replenish stock as fast as possible to meet the unprecedented demand from our customers.”
Although no software sales numbers have been released yet, Microsoft did tout a few fun facts regarding four of its biggest launch titles:
- Over 60 million zombies have been killed in “Dead Rising 3”
- Over 3.6 million miles driven in “Forza Motorsport 5″
- Over 7.1 million combos in “Killer Instinct”
- Over 8.5 million enemies defeated in “Ryse: Son of Rome”
“We are humbled and grateful for the excitement of Xbox fans around the world,” Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Xbox wrote in the statement. “Seeing thousands of excited fans lined up to get their Xbox One and their love for gaming was truly a special moment for everyone on the Xbox team. We are working hard to create more Xbox One consoles and look forward to fulfilling holiday gift wishes this season.”
With over 1 million units sold, the Xbox One and the PS4 are in a dead heat in terms of sales. Although console wars are a marathon rather than a sprint, both companies would surely love to end the year on top in results for bragging reasons alone (not to mention satiating their investors). That may come down to availability as much as anything, and that could favor Sony.
The Xbox One featured a worldwide launch, releasing in North America, Europe, Australia, and Brazil on November 22. Releases in Japan and other regions will be coming in the following months and into 2014. Sony, on the other hand, has so far only released in North America; its release in Europe, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand is scheduled for November 29, then release in Asia and India will begin in December. Traditionally, Sony has outsold Microsoft significantly in both Europe and Japan. If Sony sill has enough stock to satiate its European fanbase while Microsoft has released everything it has in Europe, Sony could open up a lead – although it will likely be a small one and short lived.
