Sony sold more than twice PS4s as much more Microsoft Xbox One

Microsoft finally confirms how much more successful the PlayStation 4 was than the previous-generation Xbox One console.

Microsoft hasn't been very open about the specifics of how its previous generation of consoles, the Xbox One and Xbox One X, fared in comparison to its main rival, the Sony PlayStation 4, until now. It's no secret that the PS4 "won" that particular console generation, but up until recently, there was some debate about the scale and scope of this "victory."

However, this has now changed as a result of Microsoft's use of some comparatively precise numbers in its justification for purchasing Activision Blizzard. The document Microsoft submitted to the Brazilian competition authority, CADE, sheds some light on the issue of whether the software giant's acquisition of the game publisher constitutes anti-competitive behavior, which is currently being contested around the world.

Microsoft has historically opposed disclosing data on console sales but in its submission to CADE it uses these figures to support the idea that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard should go forward. The document specifically states that Sony has sold twice as many PS4 consoles as Microsoft did with the Xbox One. It's important to note that Microsoft claims in the same document that Sony is paying developers to ignore Xbox Game Pass, which together paints a picture that is more competitive than Sony would probably like.

It comes as no surprise that Microsoft is fighting back against Sony's objections to its purchase of Activision Blizzard, but it is surprising nonetheless to see the two businesses fighting so adamantly against each other's definitions of success. Contrary to how businesses typically operate, where each side asserts that it is, on average, more successful than the other, this situation is jarring.

However, Sony's concerns regarding Microsoft's ownership of Activision Blizzard are far from unfounded. Even without considering other IPs like Candy Crush, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and everything else the company currently owns, Microsoft's claim that Call of Duty isn't unique belies the franchise's enormous value in the gaming industry. Sony will undoubtedly exert every effort to keep Microsoft from gaining control of such a sizable portfolio of intellectual properties, as is only to be expected.

The acquisition hasn't been well received by everyone at Activision Blizzard, either. Although it doesn't seem like much has come of that, some Activision shareholders attempted to sue Microsoft in an effort to block the acquisition. The various nations Microsoft needs to persuade that the acquisition is acceptable would probably be the one thing holding up Microsoft's completion of the deal. It's unclear at this point whether the deal will ultimately succeed on all fronts or if it will be stopped in its tracks.

Source: CADE