The company has sold many consoles to retailers but they're still on shelves

Apr 18, 2014 06:28 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has confirmed that more than 5 million Xbox One consoles have been shipped to retailers worldwide since the launch of the device last November, and that owners of the platform are spending a lot of time with their games and entertainment services.

The Xbox One and PS4 were both released back in November of last year but, ever since, Sony's new console has overtaken Microsoft's platform in terms of sales and popularity.

After Sony confirmed that it had sold over 7 million PS4 units to consumers worldwide as of April 6, Microsoft has also released its own estimates, revealing that over 5 million Xbox One units have been sold to retailers, meaning they've been shipped and have yet to reach consumers.

"We’re also happy to share today that more than 5 million Xbox One consoles have been sold-in to retailers since our launch. The new generation is off to a strong start, with global Xbox One sales outpacing Xbox 360 by more than 60 percent at the same point in time, a true testament to your love of console gaming," Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi said on the Xbox Wire.

The executive has also revealed that Xbox One owners are spending a lot of time with their consoles, around five hours per day, and that they're also enjoying all the latest applications and features available on the devices.

"Even more important to us is how much fun you are having on Xbox One. It’s amazing that Xbox One fans are spending an average of five hours per day on Xbox One and collectively have totaled more than one billion hours of time spent in games and apps on the console. We’re also thrilled to see your use and enjoyment of the latest features and apps we have released as part of our regular system updates."

Mehdi has also pledged that Microsoft's Xbox team is working hard to ensure that plenty of different improvements and new features are coming to the Xbox One via system software updates, and he has also name checked big upcoming exclusives like Sunset Overdrive or Project Spark, while mentioning the independent titles via ID@Xbox and more.

"Of course, we’re just getting started with this generation and the months ahead will bring several announcements we think you’ll love. We are grateful for your support on Xbox One and the continued popularity of Xbox 360. We’re going to continue working hard to earn your loyalty and making Xbox the best place to play games," he concluded.

The Xbox One is doing relatively well, but it's going to be interesting to see if Microsoft can keep up with Sony's PS4.