Xbox isn’t a console anymore, it’s a gaming brand. This has been reaffirmed with Microsoft’s Q4 FY25 financial results, as it touts a growing number of “active Xbox users” despite faltering console sales.
The specificity, as ever, is lost in the hyperbole, but what we do know is that across all platforms and services, it claims to have “500 million monthly active” gamers.
Revenue from the Xbox content and services division (a combination of game sales and Game Pass subscribers) grew 13% in the quarter, which ran between April and June 2025.
Forza Horizon 5’s strong PlayStation 5 sales – it was released on Sony’s console in April – were called out as a primary contributor.
“We are now the top publisher on both Xbox and PlayStation this quarter with successful launches of Forza Horizon 5 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered,” said Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella.
According to a recent third-party report, the open-world Forza driving game is the best-selling PS5 game of the year so far.
There has been a notable shift in the past year for Xbox, expanding onto other platforms as its own console sales decline.
In this quarter, Xbox hardware revenue (i.e. Xbox Series X|S sales) fell a significant 22% when compared to the same period last year, following a 6% drop in the preceding quarter.
The corporation reportedly cut up to 9,000 jobs across its Xbox Studios division, including what’s believed to be the majority of Turn 10 Studios – the progenitors for the Forza franchise.
Microsoft has still remained silent on the matter, with no clarification on the future of Forza Motorsport provided. A new Forza Horizon game is expected next year.
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