Xbox Series X/S topples Switch sales in record-setting June

By Emily Morrow July 16, 2021

The Xbox Series X/S was the top-selling console platform in the United States in June, based on dollar sales tracked by NPD and reported by VentureBeat. Last month was the most successful June ever for Xbox, breaking a previous dollar sales record set in 2011. Many are speculating that the surge in sales is due to Microsoft’s strong showing at E3 2021.

Gaming hardware has seen a dramatic increase in sales over the past year, with a 112% increase in sales across the Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Despite the proliferation of COVID-19 vaccines allowing for a return to a version of normalcy and numerous hardware shortages due to manufacturing issues, console sales continue to do extremely well.

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For the first half of 2021, the Nintendo Switch was the overall best-selling unit in both dollar sales and units, and it remained the top seller in units in June. The PlayStation 5 is the fastest unit-selling console platform in history over its 8 months on the market.

The Switch was the top-selling console in both units and dollar sales in May until its reign was toppled by the Series X/S. It’s unclear whether the Series X/S can continue this run, particularly with component shortages still occurring and Nintendo’s extremely well-received E3 presentation looming in the background.

Xbox also had a dramatic E3 presentation this year, which introduced players to big-name titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and Starfield. Microsoft recently announced that the Xbox Cloud Gaming service is powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware, expanding the console’s influence into the world of cloud gaming and streaming.

It remains to be seen whether all of these slick announcements will be enough to bolster Xbox Series X/S sales through the long term.

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Gaming

Xbox Series X vs. Series S

Xbox Series X Stylized Graphic

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S represent Microsoft's fourth-generation home video game consoles designed around AMD's 8-Core Zen 2 CPU and Radeon RDNA 2 graphics architecture. The two consoles succeed the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, offering better performance and more power across the board. New features include display resolutions up to 8K, built-in solid-state drives for faster access times, and support for real-time ray tracing.

With two powerful consoles available, it's important to be aware of how they stack up against one another so you can make the most informed buying decision. Here's our Xbox Series X and Series S comparison.
Specifications

Gaming

Hi-Fi Rush director reveals the secret to making a great music game

Chai points a finger gun at a robot in Hi-Fi Rush.

I’ve never played a rhythm game that keeps me on beat as well as Hi-Fi Rush. While I’m a musically inclined person who fronts his own band, even I have trouble keeping time in music games. I’ll inevitably start to drag behind notes and then speed up too much to overcompensate. Sometimes I lose the music altogether and need to stop clicking entirely just to rediscover the beat. But in Hi-Fi Rush, I always feel like I’m completely locked in as I attack, dodge, and zip to the sound of early 2000s alt-rock.

That’s no accident. For Game Director John Johanas and a small development team within Tango Gameworks, “accessibility” was a keyword when embarking on the unique passion project. Johanas knew that rhythm isn’t something that comes naturally to every player, putting a natural barrier to entry over any game that requires precise beat-matching and button timing. If Hi-Fi Rush was going to be a fun and welcoming experience for a wider range of players, it would require a more flexible approach to design.

Gaming

MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March

Jazz Chisholm's cover art for MLB The Show 23.

Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28.
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row.
MLB The Show 23 - Cover Athlete Reveal
As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year.
So far, there's not a lot that actually seems new about MLB The Show 23, but this reveal concludes the genesis of a new era for the long-running baseball series. MLB The Show 23 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 28.