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VGChartz estimates that Microsoft had sold 34.17 million Xbox Series X|S consoles worldwide through December 2025. That is an independent estimate, not an official Microsoft total. The “better than expected” description is relative: the comparison behind it suggests Xbox’s gap with PlayStation may be narrower than some observers had anticipated, not that Xbox outsold its rivals.
How many Xbox Series X|S consoles have sold?
VGChartz’s worldwide hardware estimates put combined Xbox Series X|S lifetime sales at 34.17 million units through December 2025. VGChartz identifies its hardware figures as estimates, drawing on official shipment figures and regional tracker estimates; Microsoft has not confirmed this total. See VGChartz’s December 2025 estimates.
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Microsoft stopped publishing direct Xbox console unit totals years ago, so this is the strongest current worldwide lifetime figure in the sources cited here, not a company-reported count. The reviewed sources do not establish a current lifetime sales split between Series X and Series S.
What “better than expected” means
Paul Thurrott’s estimate-based commentary described Xbox’s sales gap with PlayStation as about 2.25 to 1 against Xbox, while arguing that the result was better than expected compared with the wider gap some had anticipated. In other words, Xbox remained behind in that comparison; “better than expected” describes its relative position against an expectation, not a win over PlayStation or Nintendo. Read Thurrott’s analysis.
#1 Best Overall
- FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL XBOX — Experience next-generation performance with 12 teraflops of processing power, delivering smoother gameplay, richer worlds, and faster responsiveness than any previous XBOX.
- TRUE 4K GAMING UP TO 120 FPS — Enjoy breathtaking visuals with true 4K resolution, HDR, and frame rates up to 120 FPS, plus hardware-accelerated ray tracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF GAMES — Play thousands of games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX, with many titles enhanced for better visuals and performance on XBOX Series X.
The comparison is useful only when the figures are on a like-for-like basis: cumulative estimated hardware units, worldwide, over the same period, and preferably from the same tracker. Different trackers can produce different estimates, and a global lifetime estimate should not be compared with a quarterly revenue figure, shipments for a different period, or regional retail sell-through.
What Microsoft’s statements do—and do not—tell us
Strong launch-era demand was not a lifetime sales forecast
In its FY2021 fourth-quarter earnings call, Microsoft said demand for Xbox Series X and S consoles “continued to exceed supply.” That is evidence of strong demand during the launch-era supply-constrained period, but it is neither a lifetime unit count nor proof that sales beat a specific numerical forecast. Read Microsoft’s FY2021 fourth-quarter earnings call transcript.
Rank #2
- What's in the box: Xbox Series X console, 1 Xbox Wireless Controller - Carbon Black, Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, Power cord.
- Equipped with AMD's Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, DirectX ray tracing delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds.
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6 w/320 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s; Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR; Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
- Bundled with HDMI_Cable
Revenue is not console unit sales
Microsoft reported that Xbox content and services revenue decreased 10% in its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026. This measures revenue from content and services, not Series X|S hardware units sold, so it cannot confirm or contradict the VGChartz lifetime estimate. Read Microsoft’s July 29, 2026 earnings release.
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Rank #4
- What's in the box: Xbox Series S 512GB console, 1 Wireless Controller, High Speed HDMI cable.
- CPU: 8X Cores @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU; GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU; SOC Die Size: 197.05 mm2.
- Memory: 10GB GDDR6 128 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 8GB @ 224 GB/s, 2GB @ 56 GB/s.; Internal Storage: 512GB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: 1440p; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
Rank #3
- BEST VALUE IN GAMING — Experience next-gen speed and performance in the smallest XBOX ever. The XBOX Series S delivers powerful all-digital gameplay in a sleek, compact design.
- UP TO 120 FPS GAMEPLAY — Enjoy smooth, responsive gaming with frame rates up to 120 FPS, powered by XBOX Velocity Architecture, a custom NVMe SSD, and DirectX Raytracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 512GB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 512GB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF DIGITAL GAMES — Play thousands of digital games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX with backward compatibility. Many titles are enhanced for better visuals and performance. Smart Delivery ensures you always get the best version for your console.
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