Sales of Xbox consoles dropped to the bottom they’ve ever been within the UK, in accordance with an business analyst.
Editor-in-chief and co-founder of video games business reporting website The Game Business, Christopher Dring, posted on X final week that the sale of Xbox consoles dropped 39% within the UK all through 2025. That contains the sale of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles.
According to Dring, these gross sales figures are ‘the worst year on record’ for Xbox.
The information arrives after what appears to have been a blended yr for Microsoft. Despite sturdy performances from DOOM: The Dark Ages and the Oblivion Remaster, the writer additionally noticed loads of struggles with the remainder of its launching library.
Microsoft additionally raised the value of its Xbox Series X and S consoles in April 2025, seeing them rise by £50-£75 at most retailers. Xbox Game Pass additionally noticed a hefty hike, rising from £14.99 to £22.99 in October of final yr.
Despite the gross sales numbers trying disappointing on paper, some players declare that it’s truly all a part of Microsoft’s plan. Windows Central editor Jez Corden replied to Dring’s put up, saying: “nope and it’s intentional.”
There’s some fact to this. Since the tip of 2024, Microsoft has been going onerous with its renewed tagline of ‘This is an Xbox’.
The thought behind that is that Microsoft is bringing its video games to the place its viewers is moderately than the opposite method round. That means gamers can now entry Xbox video games on gadgets they already personal, like their cellphones, tablets, and even TVs with out the necessity for a devoted console.
The firm continues to be offering the {hardware} for those who need a devoted machine, and it even launched its personal handheld with the Xbox ROG Ally in late 2025. However, its technique does appear to be pivoting extra in direction of software program than the normal devoted console.
On the opposite hand, there’s clearly nonetheless a giant marketplace for console gamers. PlayStation 5 gross sales are slowing at a a lot slower tempo in comparison with Xbox, down by 12% year-on-year within the UK in accordance with VGChartz.
The Nintendo Switch 2 additionally comfortably outsold the Xbox Series X|S choices, with it estimated to have offered over 10 million models in its first 4 months on the cabinets.
Still, we discover ourselves heading into unsure waters in relation to online game {hardware}. With the value of parts skyrocketing because of AI information farms hoarding all of the assets, {hardware} producers are warning that the costs of electronics are solely set to get larger.
It may additionally imply that model new consoles just like the potential PlayStation 6 find yourself getting delayed by a yr or two – though some players don’t suppose that’s essentially a nasty factor.
https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/2154379/2025-was-xboxs-worst-year