Sony's latest financial report shows the PlayStation 5 has now shipped more than 84.2 million units, finally surpassing the Xbox 360's lifetime sales by roughly 200,000 units, as reported by Windows Central. That milestone means the PS5 has outsold every Xbox console ever made, and it's closing in on the PlayStation 3 despite rising hardware prices and tighter competition.
Stacked against PlayStation's full history, the picture becomes even clearer. Across all generations, Sony has shipped around 551 million consoles worldwide. Xbox, across the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S, sits at around 196 million. The gap is enormous, and it reflects how differently the two brands have evolved.
Microsoft publicly acknowledges that the console market isn't growing like it once did. Its shift to an "Xbox everywhere" strategy shows a belief that the future lies in services, cloud gaming, and cross platform publishing rather than pushing hardware as the core of the ecosystem. But that pivot also highlights why the Series consoles have lost momentum.
The Xbox 360 remains Microsoft's defining era. Its online features, first party hits, and cultural impact made it the closest Xbox ever came to catching PlayStation. But the goodwill evaporated fast with the Xbox One launch, which emphasized TV features, restrictive DRM policies, and a higher price point. That misstep handed Sony an easy win with the PS4, and Xbox has been fighting uphill ever since.
To Microsoft's credit, leadership changes helped stabilize the brand. Backward compatibility, the Xbox One X, and Game Pass restored trust and improved the ecosystem. The Series X and S are strong machines with standout features like Quick Resume and broad compatibility. Even so, sales hover around 30 million units, far behind Sony.
One of Xbox's biggest weaknesses is visibility. In regions like Europe, PlayStation and Nintendo dominate advertising. Many gamers never realize that major titles like Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, or Ninja Gaiden 4 are tied to the Xbox ecosystem at all. Even massive IP under Microsoft's umbrella, such as Minecraft and Call of Duty, rarely carry Xbox branding.
Looking ahead, leaks suggest Xbox wants to redefine what a console is, possibly blending PC and console hardware in a more seamless way. But innovation alone won't be enough. For Xbox to regain ground, it needs a strong identity, stronger marketing, and exclusives that make players feel the console is essential rather than optional.