Xbox One sales hit 2 million globally: Microsoft

The Xbox One is departing shelves at a rate of 111,111 units a day, Microsoft says. 

On Nov. 22, Microsoft officially launched the Xbox One, the long-awaited successor to the Xbox 360. Twenty-four hours later, a million of the devices had been snatched up. Now, a couple weeks after its debut, Microsoft says it has passed the 2 million sales mark worldwide.

Moreover, the Xbox One is reportedly leaving store shelves at a velocity of 111,111 units a day – a record for a Microsoft gaming device. 

"Demand is exceeding supply in our 13 launch markets and Xbox One is sold out at most retailers," Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of strategy and marketing for Xbox, said in a Microsoft press statement. "We’re also particularly excited to see consumers engaging in a wide range of games and entertainment experiences on the platform, with more than 1 million paid transactions on Xbox Live to date." 

Couple things to note here. First: There is a time-honored tradition of hyping up demand – as Mr. Mehdi does above – and touting exactly how "sold out" an item happens to be. Why? Well, because no one wants a piece of technology that no one else wants. We want the piece of technology that everyone wants, and more than that, we want to be able to brag to our buddies that we managed to find it in the midst of a shortage. 

Similarly, in the run-up to the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony brass repeatedly hinted that supplies were going to be tight, but promised that the company was "going to work very hard to make sure that every consumer that wants one gets one." Bottom line: When reading manufacturer-released numbers on the newest gadget, it's always best to remember that the company is making those figures public for a reason. 

Interested in trying to get your hands on an Xbox One? Check out our review round-up first.