London-based researcher Ampere Analysis estimated that Microsoft sold 7.7 million Xbox Series S and X consoles in 2021, while Sony sold 12.5 million PlayStation 5 systems and Nintendo sold 24.3 million Switches. and Western Europe,' Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told analysts on a conference call in April.īut the overall picture isn't so rosy. 'We have taken share globally for two quarters in a row, and we are the market leader this quarter among next-gen consoles in the United States, Canada, U.K. But component supply shortages and more recently lockdowns in China have hurt Microsoft's ability to produce new consoles. The hardware business picked up steam in 2020 after Microsoft released its Xbox Series X and S consoles, and as people spent more time playing games while offices and schools were closed due to the Covid pandemic. Gaming is Microsoft's fourth-largest major product category, and the company is aiming to lure more users to its Game Pass subscription service, which costs $10 a month and includes an option for people playing on PCs and streaming via the cloud. Microsoft's biggest splash in gaming came earlier this year, when the company announced plans to buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The move indicates Microsoft is focused on picking up revenue from gaming content and services, as opposed to just consoles, where the company is lagging behind Nintendo and Sony.

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