EA might be accused of being quite fond of Microsoft and Xbox as a result of Titanfall and EA Access not being available on PlayStation platforms but the feeling may not be quite as mutual following a recent EA investor call. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen told investors that the current-gen console install base was 55 million units through two years on sale. That info also accidentally let slip how many consoles each manufacturer has sold.

According to Sony, 36 million PlayStation 4s have been sold through the end of December. With EA saying that the console install base is 55 million units through their December 31, 2015, financial quarter, that means that the remaining 19 million current generation consoles sold are Xbox Ones.

On the plus side for everyone in the industry, Jorgensen said that current-gen console sales are 50% ahead of the same point in time as the previous generation console life cycle and that PS4 and Xbox One sales are beating analysts expectations for this console generation.

While it looks like that Sony is handily winning this console generation, the reasons for Sony having sold nearly twice as many consoles in this generation are many. Microsoft started at a $100 price disadvantage thanks to bundling the Kinect 2.0 with the Xbox One and never making use of it. The Kinect was DOA and the cost was likely turning away consumers. The whole DRM fight over 24-hour check-in periods and restrictions on game trading at the console’s announcement didn’t help. These have the knock-on effect of early adopters buying a PS4 and other people buying PS4s in the next wave of consumers to keep up with their friends.

While it seems like it’s doom and gloom for Microsoft and Xbox, Microsoft does sound committed to the Xbox division. Just like Nintendo seems committed to not repeat the mistakes of the Wii U with the NX, Microsoft is currently trying to play catch-up with the Xbox One’s features and will do so with the next-generation Xbox console as well.

Considering that the Xbox 360 and PS3 were pretty evenly matched in sales at the launch of this console generation, I’d have to imagine another year of releases or a price drop will help bring things back in balance.

Source: Ars Technica