Microsoft announced its latest quarterly earnings on Wednesday， with its gaming division reporting US$5.5 billion in sales， a 10% increase year-over-year. This growth was primarily driven by its content and services， including Game Pass， which saw a 13% uplift. However， hardware sales， encompassing the Xbox Series X and S， experienced a notable downturn， declining by 22%， a significant acceleration from the 6% decrease reported in the previous quarter.
Analysts had previously projected Microsoft’s quarterly revenue to be US$73.8 billion with an earnings per share of US$3.38. The latest financial report exceeded these expectations， showing a total revenue of US$76.4 billion and an earnings per share of US$3.65. During the earnings call， Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the significant reach of the company’s gaming division， boasting 500 million monthly active users across various platforms and devices. He also pointed to the strong performance of titles like Forza Motorsport 5 and the The Elder Scrolls VI remake， which have been best-selling games on both Xbox and PlayStation 5 platforms， positioning Microsoft as a leading game publisher for both Sony and its own ecosystem.
Furthermore， cloud gaming hours have surpassed 500 million， and Game Pass annual revenue is approaching the US$5 billion mark. The company also has nearly 40 new titles in development， signaling a robust future pipeline.
In related news， an NPD analyst has released a revised sales chart for the PlayStation platform and has since apologized for a previous reporting error. The initial incorrect chart had shown Microsoft’s first-party titles dominating the PlayStation charts， surprisingly pushing out titles like Kojima’s Death Stranding 2. The updated chart still indicates a strong presence for Microsoft， with six of its first-party titles appearing in the top ten on the PlayStation platform. This suggests a growing influence of Xbox Game Studios content on competing consoles， a strategy likely aimed at expanding Game Pass’s reach beyond the Xbox ecosystem.
The analyst’s admitted error underscores the dynamic nature of game sales tracking and the challenges in accurately representing market share， especially with cross-platform releases and subscription services influencing player choices.
Additional sales data for the top ten titles on Xbox and Nintendo platforms have also been released:
Notably， among re-released titles， CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 has outsold Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series on these platforms. This highlights the continued appeal of extensive open-world RPGs and the success of CD Projekt Red’s post-launch support and updates in revitalizing the game’s reputation.
Finally， a snippet of the multiplayer trailer for the highly anticipated shooter Battlefield 6 has leaked， with the viewing link available here.
EA is scheduled to reveal more about the multiplayer content tomorrow， detailing aspects such as classes， vehicles， maps， and game modes. This will be followed by a livestream featuring over 400 game streamers participating in a more than three-hour multiplayer battle demonstration. The game’s community manager has indicated that there are no plans for an early closed beta; instead， players will encounter the open beta. The title is being developed exclusively for current-generation platforms (PlayStation 5， Xbox Series X/S)， ensuring it is not hampered by the limitations of previous console generations.
