When Bethesda launched Starfield last month, it received widespread acclaim from critics and quickly became a hit, despite criticism from audiences. The game, Bethesda’s first new IP in over two decades, debuted at the number one spot on the UK boxed charts and, within 24 hours of its release, achieved over one million concurrent players across Xbox consoles and PCs.
According to new data from GSD, Starfield was the second best-selling game in the UK for September, ranking just behind the rebranded EA Sports FC 24, previously known as FIFA. Starfield also stands as the second fastest-selling Xbox exclusive title in recent times, trailing behind Forza Horizon 5.
When Starfield debuted, it led to a surge in Xbox sales, but it seems that trend has now reversed. GSD’s data revealed that most of Starfield’s sales — two-thirds of its total sales — in September were on PC.
Despite this, the game still marks a significant win for Xbox, boosting console acquisitions by 136% compared to August. The Series X console led in sales, while the Series S 512GB console followed closely with 100 units less.
Unfortunately, this growth was not enough to dethrone the PlayStation 5 as the best-selling console of the month, even though Sony’s console only saw a 24% improvement in sales from the previous period.
Starfield’s performance is even more impressive considering it was available on Game Pass upon launch. Since there is no metric to measure game sales via online subscription services, we don’t have a complete picture of Starfield’s sales. However, it’s certain the game would have sold more units if it hadn’t been available on Game Pass.
Given this logic, it is puzzling that Microsoft decided to release it on Game Pass on launch day. While the subscription service has been generating revenue to the tune of hundreds of millions for the company, there is no denying that Starfield would sell more if Microsoft held off on its Game Pass release.
The only explanation for this move is that the company prioritizes the growth of its Game Pass service over profitability. As the leading online game subscription platform, Microsoft looks to be on the right track. However, only time will tell if this gamble will pay off.
While Starfield’s numbers are impressive — ranking as the seventh best-selling title in the US this year — the top brass at Bethesda and Microsoft might be disappointed with the game’s current standing with fans. Recently, Starfield’s rating on Steam dropped to historic lows, making it the worst-rated Bethesda title on the platform.
Microsoft is determined to dethrone Sony as the king of the console gaming industry, and Starfield was its first salvo in that endeavor. While it was indeed a promising start, the game’s popularity has since waned. If nothing else, this indicates that Microsoft still has a lot to do if it truly intends to take Sony’s crown.
