[GameSpot] - Xbox Series X|S Sales Reach 8 Million, Game Pass Climbs Above 20 Million - Analyst

[343iBot]

The Xbox Series X|S has now sold 8 million units and Game Pass subscribers have climbed to above 20 million, according to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad.

In posting a summary of Microsoft's latest Xbox sales numbers from its earnings report, Ahmad provided estimates for the Series X|S, Game Pass, and other elements of the Xbox business. Microsoft's own report included no specifics on hardware sales numbers or Game Pass figures, so Ahmad's estimates are seemingly the best we have to go on at this point.

Microsoft has never shared a hard sales number for the Xbox Series X|S, and the last official Game Pass subscriber figure to be revealed was 18 million back in January 2021.

For its part, Sony has been far more forthcoming with regards to hardware unit sales. The PS5 surpassed 10 million units sold as of July. Sony will release its next earnings report in Japan later today, so we will likely get an updated PS5 sales figure very soon.

In Summary:
- Xbox Series X|S sell in is now over 8m (Estimate)
- Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are over 20m (Estimate)
- Series X|S hardware still supply constrained overall
- Content & Services is the long term driver of growth + will grow this holiday thanks to Halo.

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 27, 2021

Microsoft said in its earnings release that Xbox hardware sales rose by 166% over the past three months due to strong demand for the Series X|S. The company also disclosed that Game Pass subscribers grew, but it did not provide an official number, and still hasn't.

Microsoft's gaming division had revenue of $3.6 billion for the July-September quarter, which was the biggest July-September quarter in the company's history for Xbox.

On an earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the Xbox division set records for monetization and engagement during the period. He added that growth is expected in the future with the launches of several key titles, including Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, as well as the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming. Nadella also spoke about how many developers use Microsoft's Azure services, including Bungie (Destiny) and Krafton (PUBG).

Microsoft is a gigantic company and gaming is just one segment. Overall, Microsoft posted revenue of $45.3 billion (+22%) for the quarter ended September 30. In terms of income, Microsoft made a profit of $20.5 billion.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently spoke about how Microsoft plans to acquire even more gaming studios in the future. "We're definitely not done," Spencer said. "There's no quota, no timeline where I have to go acquire studios by a certain time, but if we find a studio where we have a good fit... absolutely."

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