The console wars continue, and it looks like Xbox is enjoying a boost in the UK. It turns out sales of the Series S and Series X have increased by 76%, based on week-on-week figures up to September 2.
That’s according to a report from Gamesindustry.biz. The data itself comes from GfK – a German market research company – which says that the Series X in particular enjoyed a 46% jump in sales across the United Kingdom.
One of the reasons for this has been attested to the recent 1TB model of the Xbox console. The Series S 1TB edition released at the start of September and, according to GfK spokesperson Dorian Bloch, accounted for 24% of all the Xbox systems sold at the start of the month.
There’s another factor as well…
Of course, it isn’t just a new model that’s responsible for this increase in sales. It’s been suggested that Starfield – which launched fully on September 6 – is partially responsible for this boost.
Given that the game was available to people who pre-ordered the Premium Edition from September 1, it’s entirely plausible that many people in the UK went out and bought an Xbox in preparation.
As we all know, Starfield is an Xbox exclusive and was made available through Game Pass from day one. It’s easily one of the most anticipated releases of this gaming generation, much to the chagrin of PlayStation and Nintendo owners.
Reviews for Starfield have been largely positive, though many have noticed the usual assortment of bugs. It’s a Bethesda game, after all. But a 76% jump in sales across the UK suggests that Microsoft making it an Xbox exclusive was worth it financially.
