14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has been unwilling to reveal the number of Xbox One home consoles that it has sold since the 2013 launch, and that means plenty of gamers are on the lookout for sources that have the ability to dispel the mystery and offer some hard figures.
The members of the Windows Weekly podcast have been mentioning that more than 200 million Windows 10 devices have gone online since the new operating system was launched in 2015, and they say that sources inside the company are claiming that 18 million of those are Xbox One devices.
The figure has not been confirmed by Microsoft and will probably remain just a rumor until the hardware maker decides to offer more details about its platform other than the fact that it is outpacing the Xbox 360 at the same moment during its lifetime regarding sales.
18 million represents a small number when compared to the 35.9 million sales that Sony revealed the PlayStation 4 managed to generate as of January 3 of this year.
Many analysts have been suggesting that the ratio between the two current-gen platforms is around 2 to 1, but both Microsoft and Sony are unwilling to comment on the performance of their competitors and say that they are focused on making their own devices the best they can be.
It's unclear whether the 18 million number includes all the consoles that are in the hands of gamers or only those that have been connected to central servers and have access to the Windows 10-based New Xbox One Experience, the improved interface for the device.
Microsoft is using bundles and updates to make its hardware attractive
The company has recently announced that it is introducing two new bundles, one featuring Rainbow Six Siege from Ubisoft and another, called Name Your Game, which allows players to choose from Rare Replay, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza 6 Motorsport, and Gears of War: Ultimate.
Microsoft also claims that it has no plans to introduce a new permanent price cut for the Xbox One and that it will continue to deliver firmware updates to improve the functionality and add new features, although no clear set of changes have been listed yet.
The launch of exclusives, including the coming Quantum Break from Remedy Games, is set to improve overall sales in the coming months, culminating with the delivery of Gears of War 4 in the fall, after a multiplayer-focused beta in the spring.
There are also rumors that a lightweight version of the Xbox One might be announced and launched this year, designed to get all its content from the Xbox Store and with a smaller price point.
Meanwhile, Sony has said that it is satisfied with sales of the PlayStation 4 and wants to make sure that no issues like the recent PSN outage affect the customer community.
The biggest coming launch for the platform is that of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, the final chapter in the Nathan Drake adventure that's set to arrive at the end of April.