PlayStation vs. Xbox Statistics – Which is Better? (2025 Updated)

Introduction

PlayStation vs. Xbox Statistics: As of early 2025, Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) has maintained a significant lead over Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S in the global gaming console market. By February 2025, the PS5 had achieved cumulative global sales of approximately 74.15 million units, while the Xbox Series X|S had reached around 32.46 million units. In November 2024 alone, PS5 sales outpaced Xbox Series X|S by a ratio of over 5:1, with 4.1 million units sold compared to 767,000 units for Xbox.

In the Indian market, PlayStation held a 59% share of the console operating system market in 2024, a decline from nearly 95% two years prior, indicating increased competition and shifting consumer preferences. Globally, the PS5 accounted for approximately 55% of the console market share, with the Xbox Series X|S trailing behind.

Subscription services have played a pivotal role in the gaming ecosystem. PlayStation Plus offers three tiers: Essential at USD 9.99 per month, Extra at USD 14.99 per month, and Premium at USD 17.99 per month. The Premium tier includes access to an extensive library of games across multiple PlayStation generations. Conversely, Xbox Game Pass has reached 31 million subscribers, marking a 12% increase from the previous year.

Despite the growth in subscription services, Xbox hardware sales have experienced a downturn. In 2024, Xbox sold approximately 2.7 million units in the U.S. and 290,000 units in Europe, representing its lowest annual performance. In contrast, Sony reported sales of nearly 10 million PS5 units during the last quarter of 2024 alone.

Editor’s Choice

• According to VGChartz.com reports, as of February 2025, the PlayStation 5 has sold more than 74.15 million units, while the Xbox Series X|S has shipped 32.46 million units.
• A report published by Statista states that, as of May 2025, the best-selling video game console of all time is the PlayStation 2, which has sold over 160 million units globally.
• In FY2024, Sony’s Gaming segment, PlayStation, reported a revenue of approximately USD 31.06 billion, while Xbox secured around USD 21.5 billion.
• According to news.market.us, PlayStation captured the highest share of 45% across the global gaming consoles market, while Xbox secured a market share of 23%, as of 2024.
• Headphone Addicts show that globally, there are more than 151.4 million PlayStation gamers and 63.7 million Xbox gamers.
• It is estimated that an average gamer spends around 8 hours and 27 minutes every week playing console games.
• According to GS Statcounter in April 2025, the market share of Xbox’s operating system reached its highest point at 66.37%, followed by PlayStation’s OS market with 33.63% share.
• Based on the reports of SQMagazine, almost 51% of PlayStation users are below 35 years old.
• Additionally, DemandSage analysis indicates that approximately 28% of Xbox users are aged between 25 and 34 years.

Basic Comparison Between PlayStation vs. Xbox

PlayStation vs. Xbox Market Share Statistics

(Reference: gs.statcounter.com)

• The above graph shows that as of April 2025, the market of Xbox’s operating system captures the highest share of 66.37%.
• Meanwhile, the PlayStation’s OS market share was 33.63% during the same period.

Other quarterly market shares are stated in the table below for 2025:

By Geography (As of April 2025)

PlayStation vs. Xbox Financial Analysis

#1. PlayStation:

• In the FY2024, Sony’s Gaming segment, PlayStation, reported a revenue of approximately USD 31.06 billion.
• Meanwhile, the segment achieved operating income of around USD 2.82 billion, according to Media Research reports.
• In 2024, Sony sold approximately 18.5 million PS5s, with 9.5 million shipments in Q3 of the same year.
• According to a 2024 Reddit survey report, approximately 28.9 million PS software units were sold.

#2. Xbox:

• As per Wikipedia’s financial year report of 2024, total revenue accounted for by Microsoft’s gaming division, Xbox, was around USD 21.5 billion.
• At the same period, Sony’s Game & Network Services segment, which includes PlayStation, generated approximately USD 31.7 billion in revenue, according to media.research.com.
• According to Microsoft.com, Xbox content and services revenue increased by 50% due to Xbox Game Pass and digital game sales.
• Whereas, Xbox hardware sales declined by 13%, due to reduced console sales volume.

Models Comparison Statistics of PlayStation vs. Xbox

#1. PlayStation:

#2. Xbox

PlayStation vs. Xbox Shipments Statistics

PlayStation vs. Xbox Subscription Statistics

• As of March 2023, the total number of subscribers in PlayStation Plus was 47.4 million, as per Reddit reports.
• According to Polygon reports, PlayStation Plus subscription costs USD 79.99 annually, USD 24.99 for a three-month subscription, or USD 9.99 per month.
• The Scottish Sun stated that Xbox Game Pass accounted for 34 million subscribers in February 2024.
• XBOXERA further states that Xbox’s Game Pass subscription increased by 30% in January 2025.

Global Gaming Consoles Market Share Statistics

(Reference: news.market.us)

• The above graphical analysis shows that in 2024, PlayStation captured the highest share of 45% across the global gaming consoles market.
• Additionally, Nintendo and Xbox captured the second and third market positions, holding shares of 27% and 23%, respectively.
• Furthermore, all other brands of gaming consoles captured a market share of around 5%.

Sales Statistics by PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

(Source: vgchartz.com)

• The graph above shows that as of February 2025, the PlayStation 5 has sold more than 74.15 million units, while the Xbox Series X|S has shipped 32.46 million units.
• The PlayStation 5 now holds 69.5% of the market, representing a 3.2% increase from last year.
• On the other hand, the Xbox Series X|S has 30.5% of the market, showing a 3.2% drop from the previous year.
• Last month, the PlayStation 5 widened the sales gap against the Xbox Series X|S by selling 0.91 million more units when comparing their launch timelines.
• When matched with their older versions at the same point in their life cycles, the PS5 is 2.01 million units behind the PS4, while the Xbox Series X|S is trailing the Xbox One by a much larger gap of 7.08 million units.

PlayStation vs. Xbox: Global Console Sales (May 2025)

By User Demographics

#1. PlayStation:

• According to reports from Headphones Addict, around 41% of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players are women today, representing a significant increase from just 18% when the PlayStation 1 was popular.
• Based on the reports of SQMagazine, almost 51% of PlayStation users are below 35 years old.
• In the United States, almost 38% of PS players belong to non-white backgrounds.
• Around 55% of PlayStation users enjoy both single-player and multiplayer games.
• Around 36% of players use cloud or remote play features at least once a week.
• In contrast, parents now make up 24% of regular users, indicating that PlayStation appeals to a diverse range of age groups.
• On average, people spend approximately 9.6 hours per week playing on PlayStation, which is slightly higher than the 9.2 hours reported in 2024.
• On the other hand, PlayStation Plus, Gen Z and Millennials together account for 68% of subscribers.
• Additionally, more than 12% of PlayStation gamers report streaming or creating content.

#2. Xbox:

• According to DemandSage, around 28% of Xbox users are aged between 25 and 34 years, followed by 23% of user who are between 35 and 44 years.
• The other share of Xbox users by age group is as follows: 18% (18 to 24 years), 15% (45 to 54 years), 10% (13 to 17 years), and 6% (55 to 65 years).
• Based on ethnicity, Xbox owners’ shares are stated as White (55%), African American (20%), Hispanic (18%) and Asian (5%).

(Reference: demandsage.com)

• As of 2024, the number of monthly active Xbox users was 200 million, up from 120 million in 2023.

By Performance Comparison

Conclusion

After completing the article, it is clear that PlayStation holds a leading position in the global console market, boasting a diverse user base and high subscription volume, with a stronger presence among Gen Z and Millennial gamers, accounting for 68% of subscribers. In contrast, Xbox continues to impress with innovations like Game Pass, with better compatibility, and cloud-first strategies, attracting dedicated users and content creators who prioritize value and flexibility.

However, to determine which is a better console gaming platform, it depends on what users value and their preferred gaming accessibility.

Go through all the above analysis, as both platforms include lots of features and credibility that are shaping the gaming industry in different ways.