Resident Evil Requiem Sales Analysis
Capcom's latest installment, Resident Evil Requiem, has seen a disproportionately low share of its sales on Xbox consoles, according to new analysis. The survival horror title has achieved significant commercial success, but its platform distribution reveals a clear trend.
Data released by Alinea Analytics today sheds light on the platform sales split for this year's Resident Evil game, providing further evidence of Xbox's difficulties in competing with Sony's PlayStation 5.
Requiem has surpassed $500 million in total revenue, selling 8.5 million copies across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. However, Xbox consoles accounted for only 8.6% of these sales, translating to approximately 731,000 units.
In stark contrast, PlayStation 5 sales represented a substantial 48.1% of copies, or about 4.01 million units. PC sales via Steam were also strong, making up 43.4% of the total, with roughly 3.69 million copies sold, underscoring Xbox's significant lag.
Console Market Context
This sales pattern is not entirely unexpected given the current console landscape. The PlayStation 5 has demonstrated robust sales this generation, with 95.3 million units shipped as of June. While its sales momentum has naturally slowed six years into its lifecycle, the upcoming launch of GTA 6 is anticipated to boost PS5 sales, particularly with its prominent marketing presence on the platform.
Conversely, the Xbox Series X/S has faced considerable challenges. Microsoft ceased reporting console sales figures years ago, but estimates suggest its current generation consoles have sold just over 35 million units. This figure is notably lower than the 58 million units sold by the less popular Xbox One during the previous generation.
Wider Industry Trends
The Resident Evil Requiem data follows a recent report indicating a similar sales disparity for GTA 6 preorders. Tom Warren of The Verge noted that pre-sales for Rockstar's highly anticipated title were heavily skewed towards PS5, reportedly causing concern within Microsoft.
In response, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball stated that Microsoft was "very happy with GTA 6 preorders," claiming they were "breaking records for Xbox" and "matching our share of the console market." However, specific details on these records were not provided.
While a 50:50 sales split between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S is unrealistic given the PS5's larger install base, the Resident Evil Requiem figures suggest a more significant gap than what Xbox's hardware sales might imply. Ball's assertion that GTA 6 pre-sales merely reflect hardware reality appears inconsistent with the Requiem data.
Implications for Xbox
Several factors could contribute to this trend, including Resident Evil's historical popularity on PlayStation, particularly in Japan where Xbox has struggled to gain traction. Nevertheless, the substantial disparity in Requiem's Xbox sales raises questions about player engagement on the platform. It prompts speculation on whether Xbox Series X/S owners are opting for PC or other consoles, and how Microsoft plans to re-engage these fans in future console generations amidst its ongoing reorganization efforts.
