Microsoft’s gradual transition to multiformat publisher appears to be working out well for the platform holder, as its hardware sales continue to torpedo but software sales increase.
The trillion-dollar tech titan announced a five per cent year-over-year increase in gaming revenue for the quarter ending 31st March, with its Content and Services category offsetting a six per cent hardware decline.
While that’s a smaller hardware slide than usual, it’s worth noting this number is compounded by several years of declines now.
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Despite that, first-party software – which includes Bethesda and Activision Blizzard these days, of course – is doing well for the company, with its software and subscription sales up 8 per cent year-over-year. It’s largely attributing that rise to Call of Duty and Minecraft.
It’s worth noting that the PS5 ports of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 will be included in the next quarter, as will DOOM: The Dark Ages and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
And CEO Satya Nadella seems pretty positive about his company’s performance on PS5.
“We ended the quarter as the top publisher by pre-orders and preinstalls on both Xbox and PS Store,” he beamed.