Whether it’s Halo, Forza, or Gears, you already know the drill—you hold the power button, see the startup menu, press “Play,” and immerse yourself in the exciting world of video games for an hour or many more.
If you’re an avid gamer, you might already know a couple of global and Canada-centric Xbox statistics. Perhaps, you are aware that Microsoft had its fair share of ups and downs. That said, at the moment, Xbox is one of the biggest names in console gaming.
Pop-culture cannot ignore this reign, either. South Park fans might have already checked out its special depicting the ongoing console wars. If you haven’t seen it yet, you might want to do so once done with these fascinating statistics.
10 Must-Know Xbox Statistics for 2024
- The original Xbox sold around 550,000 units within its first week.
- As of February 2021, the console market share in Canada was almost the same for Xbox and Playstation.
- The original Xbox console had more than 30 project names before Microsoft settled for Xbox.
- Even though the console was a hit, the company lost from US$5 billion to US$7 billion, Xbox statistics reveal.
- The Red Ring of Death cost Microsoft over US$1 billion.
- The average age of the Xbox One owner is 33.
- In 2020, Xbox Live had 90 million active monthly users.
- In the last-gen “console wars,” Microsoft came second with 43.6 million units sold, while Sony managed to pass the 100 million benchmark with PS4.
- As of October 2020, users played Xbox Game Studios games for 1.66 billion hours.
- On average, Xbox One players play 12 minutes more on their consoles than PS4 and Nintendo users.
Xbox Fun Facts and Mind-Boggling Statistics
Here are some interesting facts about one of the best-selling gaming console brands of all time. Despite joining in quite late, it managed to become a force to reckon with. Read on to discover more about its standing.
(Stat Counter)
When it comes to global market share, Xbox stats are not on par with Sony’s figures. Namely, Microsoft’s Xbox had a 35.66% global market share, while Sony boasted an impressive 64.33%. Surprisingly, Nintendo’s share accounted for a mere 0.02% of the market.
2. Microsoft’s first console was released in 2001.
(Altar Of Gaming)
Xbox facts and the history of this console are definitely worth our attention. Microsoft began manufacturing gaming consoles relatively late, given that the company started operating back in 1972. Interestingly, the same year, Magnavox released Odyssey, the first-ever gaming console.
Microsoft, however, joined the console market much later, in 2001, entering a cut-throat competition with household names, such as Nintendo, Sony, and Sega. Fast forward to now, Xbox is among the market’s leaders, with an astounding 150 million consoles sold.
3. The first Xbox model sold 550,000 units in its first week.
(Altar Of Gaming)
The first-ever Xbox was released on November 15, 2001, when the competition was intense. Many consumers feared that the Xbox player count would be low. However, they were proved wrong since the Xbox became a hit, with as many as 550,000 hardware units sold in its first week.
4. The 2001 Xbox was the first-ever console to feature an internal hard disc drive.
(It Still Works)
Even though it was only 8GB, it eliminated the need for memory cards. The console also featured a high-powered custom-made processor, created with NVIDIA and Microsoft’s joint effort.
5. The first-gen model also had a couple of non-gaming features.
(It Still Works)
Original Xbox facts reveal that the hardware had much more in store. Namely, the console made it possible for users to playback DVDs with the remote and rip music from CDs to the hard drive. What’s more, the Media Center Extender allowed synching with Windows XP PCs, enabling users to stream media content to their entertainment centers.
6. The console had more than 30 project names before Microsoft settled for Xbox.
(Business Insider)
Some of the names were MIND (Microsoft Interactive Network Device), MARZ (Microsoft Active Reality Zone), PTP or P2P (Powered To Play), FACE (Full Action Center), VIP (Virtual Interactive Player), and VIC (Virtual Interactive Center)
7. Even though the original Xbox was a hit, it was a financial failure.
(Venture Beat)
Xbox facts suggest that the company lost from US$5 billion to US$7 billion on the original hardware. Interestingly, the company lost US$125 for every unit sold. That is because the company’s manufacturing costs were around US$425 per piece while the initial retail price was only US$299.
8. In the last-gen “console wars,” Microsoft came second with 43.6 million units sold.
(Extreme Tech)
On the other hand, PS4 managed to sell around 102.8 million units by the end of 2019. Experts claim that the pricing is what brought about such discrepancy—on average, Xbox was US$100 more expensive. Even with the improved Xbox One S stats and One X features, Microsoft failed to bridge the gap.
9. The Red Ring of Death in Xbox 360 cost Microsoft over US$1 billion.
(Design News)
Following the console’s awaited release, complaints started piling up because of the total system failures, signalled by a red circle around the console’s power button. Xbox 360 stats pointed to the failure rates ranging from 23.7% to 54.2%. However, the largest resellers claimed that the rates were between 30% and 33%.
Still, to this day, experts aren’t sure what caused the Red Ring of Death. Some state that the problems may have started in the graphics chip, while others blame the heat management.
Canadian Xbox Stats
Now, it’s high time we looked into the console market in Canada. Read on to find out which console operating system is taking the lead and just how many Canadians have a gaming console.
10. Nearly 42% of all Canadian households have a gaming console.
(Statista)
Over half of the residents have access to a gaming console at home. The highest rate has been found in Alberta, with 52% of households having a gaming console. The rate is the lowest for British Columbia and Atlantic Canada—35% and 32%, respectively.
11. Xbox Live Gold subscription prices have seen a slight increase in Canada.
(Mobile Syrup)
As of January 2021, a 1-month subscription cost $12.99, up from $11.99. A 3-month plan asked for $34.99, compared to the $29.99 charged prior. Finally, a 6-month subscription cost $69.99, up from $44.99.
(Stat Counter)
Xbox statistics for Canada reveal that Xbox’s console operating system market share accounted for an impressive 48.91%. That said, Playstation was still taking the lead, with its market share amounting to 51.09%.
13. Xbox One and PS4 outsold their predecessors by a whopping 127% in Canada.
(GameSpot)
In Canada, combined sales of the two doubled those of Xbox 360 and PS3. Xbox One sales stats also confirmed a 102% rise in Xbox One and PS4’s software sales over the course of eight months following the consoles’ release.
14. In North America, the average age of the Xbox One owner is 33.
(Fenix Bazaar)
While the gender makeup of gamers is more or less evenly split in most Western countries, Xbox One demographics claim that men account for 58% of the console’s users.
Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Account Stats
As Xbox Live is one of the driving forces behind the console’s success, let’s see what impressive numbers it boasts and which trends the service has set. Read on for that and much more.
15. As of March 2020, around 23% of Xbox Live users were on PC.
(Segment Next)
While 72.2% of users accessed the service via Xbox One, 3.2% did so from Xbox 360. Note that Microsoft no longer provides Xbox Live users statistics to the public, making it resort to other channels when looking for said information.
16. In 2020, Xbox Live had 90 million active monthly users.
(Windows Central)
Xbox Live statistics point to a 42% increase in the service’s population year-over-year. Not only does Xbox Live serve as a gateway to the digital gaming portfolio, but it also provides users with much-needed communication in the era of social distancing.
17. In January 2021, Xbox Game Pass managed to hit 18 million subscribers.
(The Verge)
The subscription service offers players the selection of more than 100 games (regulars and exclusives) for US$9.99 per month. On the same note, Xbox Live stats also improved, with around 100 million monthly active users in the first months of 2021.
Stats and Facts About Xbox Players
Who are the biggest Xbox fans? Who spends the most time on Xbox Live? Let’s see what kind of data we could find.
18. Around 32.2% of PS4 owners also have an Xbox One.
(Gamasutra)
Who would have thought that a significant percentage of Playstation owners have Xbox as well? Xbox One X stats from Ampere Analysis suggest that 18.5% of PS4 owners have an Xbox One X. On the other hand, almost half (47.5%) of Xbox One owners also have a PS4, and 27.4% have a PS4 Pro.
19. The “battle” between Xbox and Playstation users even got a three-part South Park special.
(Variety)
There was a lot of hype surrounding the launch of the previous-gen consoles. Following that, creators of the popular cartoon, South Park, went as far as to create a three-part special. The first part, titled “Black Friday,” is also a parody of Game of Thrones. Without any doubt, this is one of our favourite Xbox One facts.
20. People spend billions of hours playing on Xbox Live every month.
(WePC) (VG247)
Statistics reveal that, on average, people play an astounding 4.28 billion hours on Xbox Live every month. If this figure isn’t impressive enough, we suggest that you look into stats from 2016, showing that Xbox users had played games for 100.5 billion hours since the console’s launch in 2001.
21. As of October 2020, users played Xbox Game Studios games for 1.66 billion hours, Xbox player stats reveal.
(GamesRadar+)
With Xbox Series X and a slew of upcoming Xbox Series X games, these numbers are likely to continue growing. What might also drive the numbers up in the future is Microsoft switching its focus to engaging the subscribers—something we’re already witnessing with its Xbox Game Pass.
22. On average, Xbox One users play 12 minutes more on their consoles than PS4 players.
(MS Power User)
More precisely, data shows that, on average, Xbox users play 2 hours and 27 minutes, while PS4 owners play 2 hours and 15 minutes. As for Nintendo, Nintendo Wii U users play 2 hours 26 minutes and Nintendo Wii users play 1 hour 34 minutes, on average.
Conclusion
As you can see, the Canadian world of toys and games boasts pretty impressive Xbox statistics. Throughout the country, approximately 42% of all households own a gaming console. Canadians also made it clear that they love both Xbox and Playstation equally, following the even market share distribution.
With gaming consoles making it to the top holiday gift picks among Canadians, we are more than likely to witness this sector’s further growth. Finally, statistics reveal that the average age of the Xbox One owner in North America is 33, and we all know how powerful Millennials are when it comes to spending—we can most certainly expect them to contribute to the growth of the gaming consoles sector.
FAQ
How many people have Xbox?
Giving an exact number is rather difficult since older versions are still in use even today (Xbox 360, Xbox One), and newer models (Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S) are taking over the market as we speak.
That said, what we know is that Xbox Live has an active monthly user base of 90 million players. Looking at Xbox One sales only, we can uncover that Microsoft sold 48.6 million units as of December 2020. Interestingly, North American sales accounted for the majority of those, with around 31.54 million units sold.
(Statista) (VG247)
How many types of Xbox are there?
Since Microsoft launched the console in 2001, there have been several iterations of its flagship product. Generally, there are four different base models of Xbox. Original Xbox was released back in 2001. In 2005, we were introduced to Xbox 360. The third generation of consoles started with Xbox One, released in 2013. The latest model, Xbox Series X, was officially released in 2020.
Note that Xbox 360 had two additional models—Xbox 360 S and Xbox 360 E. Xbox One also had two more versions—Xbox One S and Xbox One X.
(Altar Of Gaming)
How many Xbox users were there in 2020?
As of April 2020, the number of monthly active users of Xbox Live reached 90 million, up from 65 million in Q4 2019.
(Statista)
How many Xbox units were sold in 2020?
Microsoft sold 48.6 units as of December 2020. Interestingly, North American sales accounted for most of these sales—31.54 million.
(Statista)
What is the rarest Xbox?
There are several rarities worth mentioning. For instance, you have the Cuphead Xbox One X, with only four units made, selling for around US$3,000. Then, you have hand-painted Beatles Rock Band Xbox 360 (US$3,600), Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Xbox One X (US$8,300), and Lara Croft Gem-Studded Xbox 360, covered with over 11,000 gemstones and selling for US$11,000.
(Wealthy Gorilla)
How many people are currently on Xbox Live?
The number of monthly active users last year was 90 million. As of April 2020, Xbox Game Pass had around 10 million subscribers, and Microsoft’s Project xCloud had hundreds of thousands of active users in preview. In terms of online gaming, those are pretty impressive Xbox statistics, given that PS4 managed to outsell Microsoft’s flagship product.
(VG247)
Sources:
- Altar Of Gaming
- Business Insider
- Design News
- Extreme Tech
- Fenix Bazaar
- Gamasutra
- GameSpot
- GamesRadar+
- It Still Works
- MS Power User
- Segment Next
- Stat Counter
- Stat Counter
- Statista
- Statista
- Variety
- Venture Beat
- VG247
- VG247
- Wealthy Gorilla
- WePC
- Windows Central
Szabolcs Szecsei
With over a decade of experience in writing and two decades in making music, Szabolcs is all ears when it comes to creating written and audio content. As an active touring/recording musician and creative writer, he focuses on exploring new places, experiences, and topics. He also rediscovered his long lost love for gaming, which only fueled his appetite to research new tech trends. Lastly, his enthusiasm toward powerlifting also means that he's trying to be well-versed in other topics too, such as lifestyle, fitness, resistance training, bodybuilding, and strength sports.
