Microsoft: Xbox One nearing ten million shipments worldwide

When it comes to reporting official sales figures for the Xbox One specifically, Microsoft has been silent since April, when it reported over 5 million systems had shipped to retailers worldwide. Microsoft broke that silence today, via a post on Xbox Wire that somewhat vaguely reported "shortly, we will have sold in to retailers more than 10 million Xbox One consoles."

That 10 million number represents a major uptick from our most recent estimates that Microsoft had shipped 6.7 to 7.35 million systems through the end of September, based on reports of total Xbox shipments that also included the Xbox 360. It's not impossible for both numbers to be accurate, though.

For one, Microsoft's use of the word "shortly" leaves a lot of wiggle room for when, exactly, the 10 million milestone is going to be hit. The current shipment number could be as high as 9.99 million or as low as... anything, really, for Microsoft's statement to be technically true.

The six weeks since the end of September also serve as the run up to the holiday shopping season, which kicks into high gear on Black Friday in just a few weeks. With that sales frenzy approaching, retailers are likely stockpiling more consoles than normal in anticipation of huge demand during Black Friday sales and into December.

Finally, there's the price drop. Since Microsoft lowered the asking price for Xbox One bundles to $349 on Nov. 2, the company says console sales have "more than tripled" week over week in the US. Such a sudden sales spike in the biggest market for game consoles in the world can go a long way to pushing worldwide shipment numbers higher, even though the spike is still relatively recent.

Having a system with sales in the eight-figure range would be an important milestone for the Xbox One, but it's important to keep that number in context. Sony reported last month that the PlayStation 4 had already shipped 13.5 million systems worldwide through the end of September, a number that has also likely shot up during the holiday ramp-up period. It won't be until January or February until we really have a good idea of how the two consoles' crucial second holiday seasons have affected the composition of the console sales race.