XBOX Ranks Last Behind PlayStation and Nintendo in U.S. Survey

New Statista Consumer Insights data suggests Xbox remains the least-used major console platform among U.S. console gamers, trailing both PlayStation and Nintendo by a wide margin.

The survey questioned more than 3,200 gamers in the United States about the console platforms they frequently use, excluding PC and mobile gaming.

Around 85% of respondents said they regularly play on PlayStation consoles, while Nintendo reached 76%. Xbox ranked third at 58%. Since respondents could use multiple platforms, the results also highlight how common multi-console ownership has become.

Xbox faces wider business pressure

The survey arrives during a difficult period for Microsoft’s gaming business. Microsoft has already carried out thousands of gaming-related layoffs this summer, with additional reductions expected during the next fiscal year.

Microsoft’s gaming revenue declined by 11% during the previous fiscal year, partly because of a weaker year for Call of Duty. Despite that decline, Microsoft remains optimistic that XBOX will return to growth.

Xbox also depends heavily on several major franchises, which can make revenue more vulnerable when a blockbuster release underperforms. At the same time, Microsoft’s biggest properties remain extremely valuable, with the three largest XBOX franchises generating more than $1 billion each annually.

Xbox 360 remains surprisingly popular

One of the more unusual findings from the Statista data involves the Xbox 360.

Microsoft’s older console still appears to have a significant active audience, with reported usage competitive with Nintendo Switch 2 among respondents.

That continued interest in older Xbox hardware could help explain Microsoft’s growing focus on preserving its game catalog. The company has already started bringing Xbox backward compatibility to PC.

Older consoles also remain good enough for many popular games. Players who spend most of their time with titles such as Fortnite or Minecraft may have little reason to replace an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 while those games continue receiving support.

That keeps players engaged with the Xbox ecosystem, but it does little to encourage new hardware purchases.

Hardware prices create another problem

Xbox could also struggle to take full advantage of major upcoming releases such as GTA 6 if consumers hesitate to upgrade their hardware.

Microsoft is reportedly facing difficulties obtaining memory components at favorable prices, while Xbox Series X|S hardware has already become more expensive.

Higher prices make upgrading harder to justify, especially for players who already have access to many of their favorite games on older systems.

Xbox still has several advantages, including PC gaming, cloud services, Game Pass, and a large collection of established franchises. However, Microsoft now faces the difficult task of turning those assets into a clearer long-term strategy while PlayStation and Nintendo continue attracting larger console audiences.

Via Windows Central