Thanks to the power of the Game Pass and launching a way cheaper model, now the Series are slightly ahead

What I REALLY wish we could compare is PS5 users vs. Xbox Series S + Series X + PC Windows/Gamepass users. That would paint the actual accurate picture between who is paying Microsoft to game vs. who is paying Sony to game. Sony doesn't divide its userbase amongst console and PC gamers, whereas Microsoft does, and yet we are only comparing console sales. I know this is basically impossible lol but still it frustrates me we can't know the ACTUAL comparisons.

If Xbox Series S/X were literally the ONLY way to play MS studio games, I'm 100% certain Xbox console sales would be higher than they are and will be in the future. However, I think the route they are going will lead to more growth in the industry (having the option to be a PC gamer, more choice = more consumers) and more profitability. Great business decision on their end, but sadly people will only compare console vs. console sales and completely ignore all the money they are getting from their PC gamer base.

Bold: I don't think 100% of people people who are PC gamers would stop playing on PC to get a Xbox

 They are getting Game Pass because it's cheap. Personally if I was a PC gamer I would still have GP and I have zero interest in Xbox and Microsoft games 

What I REALLY wish we could compare is PS5 users vs. Xbox Series S + Series X + PC Windows/Gamepass users. That would paint the actual accurate picture between who is paying Microsoft to game vs. who is paying Sony to game. Sony doesn't divide its userbase amongst console and PC gamers, whereas Microsoft does, and yet we are only comparing console sales. I know this is basically impossible lol but still it frustrates me we can't know the ACTUAL comparisons.

If Xbox Series S/X were literally the ONLY way to play MS studio games, I'm 100% certain Xbox console sales would be higher than they are and will be in the future. However, I think the route they are going will lead to more growth in the industry (having the option to be a PC gamer, more choice = more consumers) and more profitability. Great business decision on their end, but sadly people will only compare console vs. console sales and completely ignore all the money they are getting from their PC gamer base.

I didn't say 100% of people would, but I do believe the majority of the gaming population do not have BOTH a gaming console AND a gaming pc. Do most people have a pc? Sure, but most PCs can't play the modern games coming out on consoles well, let alone at all. Microsoft has millions, perhaps tens of millions (especially in the future with the growth), more users that either buy their game exclusively on Windows store OR subscribe to Gamepass PC. Most can't afford a gaming PC and a console.

What I REALLY wish we could compare is PS5 users vs. Xbox Series S + Series X + PC Windows/Gamepass users. That would paint the actual accurate picture between who is paying Microsoft to game vs. who is paying Sony to game. Sony doesn't divide its userbase amongst console and PC gamers, whereas Microsoft does, and yet we are only comparing console sales. I know this is basically impossible lol but still it frustrates me we can't know the ACTUAL comparisons.

If Xbox Series S/X were literally the ONLY way to play MS studio games, I'm 100% certain Xbox console sales would be higher than they are and will be in the future. However, I think the route they are going will lead to more growth in the industry (having the option to be a PC gamer, more choice = more consumers) and more profitability. Great business decision on their end, but sadly people will only compare console vs. console sales and completely ignore all the money they are getting from their PC gamer base.

Xbox latest revenue 2020 full year. They claimed 11.58B.

https://freegametips.com/xbox-division-breaks-its-revenue-record-by-closing-fiscal-year-2020/ 

sonys latest 2020 revenue year 22.74B.

https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/playstation-set-a-new-industry-record-for-revenue-in-2020/ 

Only problem is that they dont have the same months for the start and end of the fiscal year. I think they are shifted by a few months. But it dosent matter. Both enjoyed the covid boost as in both articles they both claimed that it was their highest and both broke records for the company. While sony was an industry record, previously held by themselves in 2018.

So at face value we see that what they get from any other place is still short of the competition no matter where they put gamepass. Also lets not forget that MS likes to mess with numbers and throw everything unrelated into the gaming category. So that 11.58B might be fluffed up. Also lets not forget this is not operating income. So they way MS has been throwing money around buying companies and who knows how much they actually pay devs to put games on gamepass, I would say that the gap its actually much higher when accounting for pure profits. 

Edit: Forgot nintendo they aparently made 12.11B

https://www.statista.com/statistics/216622/net-sales-of-nintendo-since-2008/ 

Yeah no don't go on the "revenue vs profit" debate, I've read so much nonesense about it (my favourite one being "it's hard to calculate accurate profit" cause MS accountants are less competent as Sony's or Nintendo's I guess)

MS is hoping that its shift towards gaming will eventually make money in the very long term. And I hope they will, the value is great as a complementary on what we currently have.