Microsoft shares some data about its biggest Xbox launch ever

Microsoft just had the biggest launch in Xbox history with its new Series X and Series S consoles released in 40 markets on November 10. If Xbox head Phil Spencer reiterated this week that the company won’t discuss console sales numbers, preferring to focus on Xbox Live engagement, the Xbox team does have some new data to share about this exciting console launch.

Liz Hamren, CVP, Gaming Experiences & Platforms said on Xbox Wire today that Microsoft saw this week “more new consoles sold than any prior generation, with Xbox Series S adding the highest percentage of new players for any Xbox console at launch.” At just $299, the Xbox Series S is the most affordable next-gen console on the market right now, being $100 cheaper than Sony’s PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.

Hamren also revealed that the majority of early adopters who purchased the company’s next-gen Xbox consoles this week are Xbox Game Pass subscribers. “Next gen means more ways to discover and play, 70 percent of Series X|S consoles are attached to new and existing Xbox Game Pass members,” the exec wrote.

Additionally, we have another engagement number with the number of Xbox games played since the launch of the Xbox Series X|S. “More games played, 3,594 in total, spanning four generations, setting a record for the most games ever played during an Xbox console launch,” said Hamren.

Last but not least, the exec announced that the company is “working tirelessly with our partners around the world to bring as many new consoles to as many of you as possible over time.” If you didn’t get the chance to get your hands on the new Xbox consoles this week, you’re invited to keep an eye on your local retailers to see when new stock becomes available.

If Microsoft won’t talk about Xbox sales anymore, you can expect Sony to continue to do so. Back in October, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said in an interview with the Financial Times (paywalled) that the company expected to sell over 7.6million PlayStation 5 units by March 31, 2021.