The console juggernauts of the gaming industry duke it out year after year, fighting to be number one. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo have competed for decades at this point, giving you the choice of platform you prefer based on exclusive titles.
While "console wars" are often filled with subjectivity and bias, there are ways of ascertaining which console is the most popular for a given year. Many would argue that 2023 is going to be the year of the Xbox Series X|S, based on multiple reasons.
1. Xbox Game Pass Sees Year-On-Year Growth
Xbox Game Pass, available on either an Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, or PC, offers you a wide catalog of games to play. With new games added all the time (including newly-released titles), it is a pretty cheap price for the number of games the service offers. The Game Pass is one of the unique advantages the Xbox Series X|S has over the PlayStation 5.
Gamers have been responding so well to it, that Xbox Game Pass has enjoyed year-on-year growth for several years now, as can be seen on the Game Pass subscribers Statista page. The service had 10 million active users in April 2020, jumping to 18 million in January 2021, and 25 million in January 2022.
It can be expected that the Game Pass will continue this upwards trend in 2023 and beyond, leading to a further influx of new years thus meaning new sales for the Xbox Series X|S.
2. The Global Cost-of-Living Crisis Makes Xbox More Attractive
Unfortunately, there is a global cost-of-living crisis set to last throughout 2023 and likely most of 2024, at least. Most people are aware of this and naturally will be cutting back on their spending and choosing cheaper options. For many gamers, wondering whether it's worth upgrading from the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X|S feels like a surer bet than jumping to the PS5.
The Xbox Series S is cheaper than the PlayStation 5, with the Xbox Series X costing the same amount as the standard PS5. Since the PlayStation 5 is a) more expensive than the Xbox Series S, and b) in shorter supply than both the Series X and Series S, it's reasonable to assume the Xbox Series X|S will be a more attractive purchase to many prospective customers.
After all, if you're looking to make the jump to the current generation, you'd likely want to pick the cheaper option and the console that is easier to come by.
3. The Xbox Series X|S Is Growing in Sales While Its Competitors Are Down
In 2022, the Xbox Series X|S grew in sales across Europe, while the sales for PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch declined, as reported by PureXbox.
This could be in response to the lower price tag of the Xbox Series S compared to the PlayStation 5, or it could be in response to supply issues. Since the price and supply issues of the PlayStation 5 aren't expected to change throughout at least the first half of 2023, it's reasonable to assume that the Xbox Series X|S will continue to enjoy success in the market.
4. Xbox Has Some Exciting Games Coming in 2023
Xbox had a fairly quiet year throughout 2022, which is strange considering its growth in sales throughout this period. However, it already announced a few new products for 2023, which could easily lead to more sales throughout the year.
PlayStation has long enjoyed more coveted exclusives than Xbox. Still, with the release of Starfield, a console exclusive to Xbox, and other titles such as Age of Empires, The Outer Worlds 2, and the long-awaited soft reboot of Forza Motorsport, it's only natural people are becoming more interested in Xbox again.
The Xbox Series X|S Will Dominate Throughout 2023
Even with the rumored release of the PlayStation 5 Slim, the surge of interest in the Steam Deck, and multiple strong exclusive titles releasing on the Nintendo Switch, the Xbox Series X|S will dominate throughout 2023.
Its Xbox Game Pass offering, securing of multiple highly-hyped exclusive titles, cheaper price tag, and favorable supply volume over its competitors make it likely it'll succeed in the market over the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and the Steam Deck.