2025: The Year Xbox Sales Plummeted in the UK
2025 marked a significant downturn for Xbox consoles in the UK, with sales plummeting nearly 40% compared to the previous year. This decline has been described as “comfortably” the worst year on record for Xbox, as reported by The Game Business journalist Christopher Dring. While the entire console market faced challenges, with PlayStation 5 sales also down 19%, the sharper drop for Xbox highlights a pivotal shift in Microsoft’s strategy.
The year 2024 saw Microsoft begin to pivot away from traditional console exclusives, a trend that accelerated in 2025. Notably, several Xbox exclusives, including popular titles like Gears of War and Forza Horizon, made their way to PlayStation platforms. This shift raises questions about the future of Xbox hardware and whether Microsoft will continue to prioritize multiformat releases over exclusive titles.
As we look ahead, it will be interesting to see how this strategy impacts Xbox’s market presence and whether they can recover from this downturn. Will 2026 bring a resurgence for Xbox, or is this the new norm in console gaming?
Original source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/2025-was-the-worst-year-on-record-for-xbox-consoles-in-the-uk/