Xbox Console Players Will Stagnate At 42 Million By 2026, Less Than Half Of PlayStation’s Active Users

Expert Verified By

Microsoft Is Shifting Fully To PC And Leaving Consoles In The Dust.

Story Highlight
  • Xbox console players will “flatline” at 42 million by the end of 2025, according to Omdia’s research.
  • This number is roughly three times less than PlayStation’s active console users.
  • Microsoft’s focus on incorporating the Xbox brand on PC and other platforms is partly the cause of this.

Xbox has undergone a major rebrand this generation, going from PlayStation’s only competition to a software giant making millions by porting games to other platforms. Fans haven’t been big on this new software-focused approach to the business, but there is no doubt it has brought in results for the company.

However, even though sales numbers have increased, hardware sales have only decreased, and now a new report suggests that Xbox console players will flatline by the end of this year. 

Why This Matters: Going from one of the biggest hitters in the console market to partial death in a decade is a sad decline for Xbox consoles and not good for the wider industry.

Microsoft Xbox
Xbox Series consoles have massively underwhelmed in sales.

According to Game Developer’s key takeaways from Gamescom 2025, active Xbox users will stagnate at around 42 million at the end of 2025. This number comes from research done by Omdia and its Games Market Metric Database, with the article indicating that Xbox confirmed its shift away from consoles at Gamescom, putting more focus on PC.

The company is set to release a Windows PC experience that mimics the Xbox UI and incorporates the Xbox storefront in addition to other libraries like Steam, while also partnering with Asus to release the ROG Xbox Ally. Hence, it does feel like Microsoft is leaving Xbox hardware in the dust and merging the brand with the much wider PC market.

PlayStation, on the other hand, currently has 123 million active users across the PS4 and PS5, which is roughly three times more than the number of players Xbox will flatline at.

ROG Xbox Ally X
ROG Xbox Ally is another way the company is trying to reach wider audiences.

Microsoft wants to reach a billion players worldwide, and with the pillars of its brand, Xbox consoles and Game Pass, declining in pace, shifting focus to a platform that already has a billion players seems like the smartest move. However, it does signify that Xbox consoles are now an afterthought rather than being the company’s main focus.

Do you think Xbox consoles will ever recover from this slump? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Silent Hill 3 Remake Reportedly Coming in 2028 as Bloober Team Works on Resident Evil-Inspired New IP

Bloober Team is rumored to be working on a Silent Hill 3 remake and a new Resident Evil-inspired IP, with releases expected in 2026 and 2028.

Battlefield 6: EA Promises 120 FPS Performance on Consoles and Free DLC Support

Battlefield 6 to support 120FPS, and alongside, EA to give out a free DLC titled 'Covert Operations' during Season 1.

Microsoft Reportedly Scrapped Its Xbox Handheld After AMD’s Shocking Demands

A new report reveals that the first-party Xbox handheld was cancelled because AMD demanded 10 million sales to develop a custom SoC.

Silent Hill 2 Web Page Update Hints At Upcoming Xbox And Switch Ports

A new update to the official webpage suggests that the Silent Hill 2 remake could soon be announced for Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

Resident Evil Requiem Will Be Closer To RE2 Than RE4 In Tone

As per insider Extas1s, Resident Evil Requiem is going to be more like Resident Evil 2 in tone than the action-horror based RE4.