Xbox leader Asha Sharma says there’s “more demand than consoles available” as Xbox hardware sales dip by 14%
By “We’re advancing, with significantly more tasks in front of us.”
Image credit: Eurogamer
Xbox chief Asha Sharma has asserted there’s “greater demand than consoles in stock” regarding Xbox, and that console sales “continue to be limited by availability”.
She made these comments following Microsoft’s announcement of its quarterly financial outcomes yesterday, where Xbox revenue fell two percent compared to the previous year. The financials also indicated a reduction in Xbox hardware sales, which are down 14 percent year-over-year, propelled by a “reduced quantity of consoles sold”.
Sharma’s optimistic perspective, which she shared on X, underscored record-setting achievements of Minecraft and World of Warcraft: Forever, and commended Call of Duty’s “most praised launch in over a decade”. She also highlighted double-digit revenue growth on PC.
Perhaps Xbox’s (even pricier) commemorative Xbox Series X, slated to launch in November, will deliver a necessary boost in hardware sales.Watch on YouTube
“Console sales continue to be limited by availability,” Sharma emphasized, “with greater demand than available consoles. We are striving to put more consoles into gamers’ hands, including through our enhanced refurbishment initiative. We’re advancing, with significantly more tasks ahead.”
During Microsoft’s earnings discussion, recorded by Seeking Alpha, company leader Satya Nadella also celebrated Minecraft’s “record quarter” and World of Warcraft achieving “its largest beta in franchise history”. Additionally, Nadella pointed out “one of our most robust first- and third-party [holiday] lineups in years”, mentioning COD Modern Warfare 4 and GTA 6 as part of the reason. However, there was no reference to Gears of War: E-Day, which, with an October 6 release date, does occur within that holiday season.
Microsoft’s chief financial officer Amy Hood provided further clarification, observing that the decline in Xbox revenue was “driven by decreases in third-party content and Xbox Game Pass, partially balanced by growth in first-party content”.
These Xbox outcomes arrive shortly after Asha Sharma mentioned the Xbox division had “begun to return to growth” following the significant restructuring she has led,
