Whether you’ve got an Xbox Series X/S or you’re considering diving into Microsoft’s history of Xbox consoles, we’ve got some interesting facts for you to digest.
2001 saw the release of the original Xbox. Since then, eight versions of Microsoft’s Xbox have been released. This includes the latest Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.
Among the number of consoles released, Xbox has seen record sales, exclusive games, and varied Xbox user statistics.
Since COVID-19, more people than ever before are diving into the world of gaming.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at 2021’s Xbox statistics and facts.
General Xbox Statistics and Facts
- 2020 saw a 75% increase in gaming worldwide. This is likely due to the Coronavirus pandemic forcing people to spend the majority of their time indoors. (Source: Verizon)
- In 2021, the Xbox Series X and Series S have grown by 50%. (Source: Windows Central)
- In 2021, Xbox subscriptions rose by 40%. (Source: Windows Central)
- The Xbox One is compatible with three voice search assistants. This includes Google Assistant, Alexa, and Cortana. (Source: Microsoft)
- In 2020, Xbox Live had 90 millions users per month. (Source: Statista)
- 35% of users use their Xbox One for watching TV shows and movies. (Source: Venture Capitalists)
Xbox History Facts and Statistics
- The Xbox idea was first pitched in 1998. Four men brought the idea to Bill Gates who accepted their proposal. (Source: Digital Trends)
- It only took 20 months to launch the original Xbox. (Source: Venture Beat)
- In the first week after release in Japan, Microsoft sold just 123,000 units. (Source: Digital Trends)
- By the fourth year, Microsoft sold 21 million units of the Xbox. (Source: Venture Beat)
- The first season following Xbox’s launch generated Microsoft $750 million in profit. (Source: Venture Beat)
Xbox Sales and Profits Statistics
- The video gaming market made $180 billion in 2020. (Source: Marketwatch)
- In 2022, it’s estimated that game consoles will generate an incom of $60+ billion. (Source: Venture Capitalists)
- Gaming consoles contributed about 39% of the entire gaming revenue in 2019. (Source: Forbes)
- In 2020, the demand for the Xbox One doubled. They recorded an increase of 65% in sales and subscriptions. (Source: Windows Central)
- In 2020, Xbox One sales amounted to 51.51 million units. (Source: Statista)
- By 2020, the worldwide sale of Xbox 360 units reaached 85 million. (Source: Statista)
- In 2020, Xbox Live had over 10 million subscribers. (Source: Metro)
Xbox User Statistics
- The number of gamers worldwide was 2.69 billion in 2020. By 2023, it’s estimated this number will reach 3.07 billion. (Source: Statista)
- 25% of Americans were considered video game players in 2020. (Source: The Fountain Group)
- 65% of US adults enjoy playing video games. (Source: ESA)
- 18.2% of participants played video games for 4-7 hours every week in 2020. (Source: Statista)
- In 2020, 41% of gamers were women. In 2006, this figure was only 38%. (Source: Statista)
- Most male gamers are aged between 21 and 35. (Source: Venture Capitalists)
- 56% of Xbox One users are married or in a relationship. (Source: Microsoft Central)
- Xbox Live Gold is available in 42 countries, with plans to expand soon. (Source: Microsoft)
- The top gaming revenue earner globally was the Asia-Pacific region in 2020 with 1.5 billion gamers. (Source: Statista)
Xbox Games Statistics and Facts
- In 2021, Xbox Live Gold pricing remains the same. (Source: Microsoft)
- In 2020, the retail value of Xbox Live Gold membership was $1080. (Source: Statista)
- Xbox One weekly usage online and offline is 50%. (Source: Venture Capitalists)
- In 2020, Microsoft discontinued the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. (Source: Windows Central)
- In November 2020, the most popular Xbox Series X/S game was Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War with a 34.8% share. (Source: Statista)
- In 2020, Xbox Live subscribers were offered a total of $1,100 worth of free games. (Source: Statista)
- In 2018, the sales of downloaded games was 28,000 in Japan, compared to 19,000 packaged games. (Source: Statista)
- With more than 8.72 million copies sold across the world, Grand Theft Auto V is the best-selling game on Xbox One. (Source: Statista)
- 8.6 million more people played PUBG on Xbox than on PS4 in 2020. (Source: GmrPC)
Fun Facts About Xbox
- The Xbox Series X was released on 10 November, 2020. (Source: TechRadar)
- At launch, the Xbox Series X was the same price as the Xbox One. (Source: TechRadar)
- The top celebrity gamers are Megan Fox and Mila Kunis. (Source: Ranker)
- In 2020, free-to-play games earned $67 billion. (Source: Statista)
- In the U.K., the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X were the most popular game consoles. (Source: GamesIndustry)
- 19% of the British homes owned an Xbox One or an Xbox 360 in 2019. (Source: Statista)
- The Xbox Series X and S are the company’s fastest-selling consoles to date. (Source: GamesRadar+)
- Xbox Wireless Controller (Carbon Black) was the best-selling controller in April 2021. (Source: GamesIndustry)
- Nearly half of Xbox One users also own a PlayStation 4. (Source: Game Developer)
- Kinect holds the world record for a fastest-selling consumer electronics device. (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Xbox Cloud Gaming became available in 2021. (Source: CNET)
It’s All In The Game
The Xbox statistics and facts we’ve looked at show the gaming industry is continuing to grow.
With the Xbox Series X and Series S now becoming more accessible, Microsoft’s revenue and release of games show no sight of slowing down.
From new innovative technologies to streaming services like Netflix now offering games, there’s no running away from the immersive nature of games.