New estimates from EA CFO hint at better than expected numbers for the Xbox One

With Microsoft shifting the conversation about its gaming console from the number of units it’s shipped/sold to an arguably more substantive metric of user engagement, many thought the numbers race would soon come to an end.

While Sony will mostly likely continue to herald the numbers of its widely successful gaming console, gaming studios will also look to those numbers to determine whether their development investments will continue to pay off in the future. GameSpot is reporting that during a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen dredged up the ol’ numbers metric, and his estimates are resoundingly positive for both the Xbox One and the industry as a whole.

According to Jorgensen, there are around 60 million combined Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles in the wild. When last reported, estimates from several industry sources had the market for PS4 and Xbox One gaming consoles hovering around 55 million. The five million increase bodes well for the continued adoption of console gaming, but based on the math, the Xbox One may be doing better than previously thought.

For countless months, the PS4 has managed to control the narrative of this console generation regarding sales figures, and perhaps wisely, Microsoft has chosen to stop fighting an uphill battle in that regard. However, if Jorgensen’s estimates are remotely close to the truth, it seems the Xbox One may be sitting at 24 million devices sold.

Even though Microsoft has chosen to pivot and chart user engagement numbers rather than consoles sold, an estimated 24 million devices sold in a very competitive market isn’t anything to balk at. The Xbox One may never fully catch up to the outstanding sales of the PS4, but continued innovation and implementing user feedback should help it maintain a healthy spot in the industry.

Jorgensen also commented on the digital download trend consumers are exhibiting as of late, and with Microsoft moving more strategically into that avenue with its recent announcement, studios may see further benefit in the Xbox One ecosystem soon.