According to GameSpot, analyst Rhys Elliott’s Alinea Insight newsletter reveals PlayStation 5 games sold remarkably well in October 2025 despite concerns about Xbox’s future. Battlefield 6 led with 3.2 million copies sold, followed by EA Sports FC 26 at 3 million and Ghost of Yotei at 2.7 million. The trio combined for nearly 9 million sales in a single month, with Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto 5 also placing in the top 10 at fourth and seventh respectively. EA Sports took three of the top ten slots between different annual titles, while Take-Two’s NBA 2K26 sold 564,000 copies for fifth place. Elliott directly challenged the “console is dead” narrative, stating that while Xbox as a console may be struggling, AAA games are clearly thriving on PlayStation platforms.
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The console market reality check
Here’s the thing about all those “consoles are dying” hot takes – the numbers simply don’t support them. When you’ve got three games selling over 2.7 million copies each in a single month on one platform, that’s not a dying market. That’s a thriving ecosystem. Elliott’s frustration with the narrative is completely understandable when the data shows such strong performance.
And let’s be real – these aren’t just any games. We’re talking about Battlefield, EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), and what appears to be a Ghost of Tsushima sequel. These are massive franchises with huge development budgets and marketing campaigns. Publishers wouldn’t be investing this heavily if they thought consoles were on their last legs.
Microsoft’s strategic pivot
So what’s actually happening here? Basically, we’re witnessing Microsoft’s business model evolution in real time. Xbox as a hardware platform might be struggling, but Microsoft’s gaming division is doing just fine by expanding to PlayStation. They’re becoming more of a third-party publisher while still maintaining their own ecosystem.
Think about it – Minecraft and what were formerly Xbox exclusives are now topping PlayStation charts. That’s pure revenue Microsoft was leaving on the table before. When your “competitor’s” platform becomes another revenue stream, that’s just smart business. The console war mentality is giving way to a more pragmatic approach where games go wherever the players are.
The live service domination
What’s really interesting is how live service games continue to dominate years after release. Grand Theft Auto 5 placing seventh in 2025? That game originally launched in 2013! Minecraft hitting fourth place? That’s the power of continuous content updates and online communities keeping games relevant long after their initial release windows.
This creates a fascinating dynamic where new blockbuster releases have to compete not just with other new games, but with established live service titles that have entrenched player bases. It’s why you see EA Sports taking multiple slots with different annual iterations – they’ve mastered the art of keeping players engaged year-round across their portfolio.
Where does this leave the console landscape?
Looking at Alinea Insight’s data, it’s clear that PlayStation has become the dominant platform for big-budget console gaming. But that doesn’t mean Xbox disappears entirely. Microsoft seems to be betting on a future where Game Pass and cloud gaming become their primary offerings, while still releasing major titles across platforms.
The real question isn’t whether consoles are dying – it’s whether the traditional console model of walled gardens and exclusives is evolving. If Microsoft can make more money by putting Halo on PlayStation while still offering Game Pass as their unique value proposition, why wouldn’t they? The market isn’t dying – it’s just getting more interesting.
