Microsoft was a relative latecomer to the video game console market, as the likes of PlayStation and Nintendo were already established brands by the time Xbox came around. That said, Xbox has still managed to become a huge part of the gaming industry and rivaled the other big names.
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Of course, the quality of the consoles helped with this. However, the family of systems wouldn’t have gotten very far if it hadn’t been for the great games released on those consoles. The following titles were statistically the most popular on each system because they sold the most.
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Xbox
Best Selling Game: Halo 2 – 8 Million
Other Xbox Games That Sold Well: Halo: Combat Evolved, Fable, Grand Theft Auto 3, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Halo is the series most associated with the Xbox brand, so it’s no surprise that Halo 2 is the best-selling game on the original Xbox.
The FPS sold 8 million copies, and its predecessor wasn’t too far behind, as Halo: Combat Evolved sold over 5 million. These numbers are likely why Microsoft made Halo’s Master Chief the poster boy of the Xbox brand.
Halo 2 deserved the huge sales, as it’s an iconic FPS title. The game really helped popularize PvP online multiplayer on consoles through fun game modes and great maps. The main campaign is exceptional, too. The story is solid, and the levels are well-designed. Plus, the inclusion of co-op makes the experience even more entertaining.
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Xbox 360
Best Selling Game: Kinect Adventures – 24 Million
Other Xbox 360 Games That Sold Well: Grand Theft Auto 5, Minecraft, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
The Xbox 360 was a much more popular console than the original Xbox. Therefore, the standards for game sales on this system were much higher. An example of this is Halo 3, which sold around as much as the first two games combined but didn’t sell as well as a few Xbox 360 titles.
The system’s number-one game is Kinect Adventures. However, it’s worth pointing out that this game was bundled with the Kinect. It likely wouldn’t have sold 24 million copies if it hadn’t been.
It was bundled with the Kinect because it is a game that makes excellent use of the accessory. Kinect Adventures includes various types of games that prompt you to jump and move around your room. There are games inspired by rafting, track-and-field, and more. It’s a decent Kinect title, but it doesn’t deserve to be one of the best-selling games ever.
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Xbox One
Best Selling Game: PUBG: Battlegrounds – 9 Million
Other Xbox One Games That Sold Well: Grand Theft Auto 5, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Call of Duty: WW2, And Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
The sales numbers for the top games on the Xbox One are lower than those on the 360. In fact, they are more in line with the original Xbox numbers. This is likely due to the Xbox One not being as popular as the 360.
The top-selling title on the system is PUBG: Battlegrounds, as it was reported to have nine million players before the game went free-to-play. However, there is some debate around this, as some believe Grand Theft Auto 5 is actually the best-selling title on the system. This is because the two games are very close in sales. It seems, though, that PUBG just edges out GTA.
This means the top game on the Xbox One is a battle royale title. It was one of the first of its kind. It’s simplistic in nature. You are dropped onto a map with a bunch of others online, and you have to be the last one remaining. It’s not quite considered one of the best Xbox One games ever, like GTA 5, but it’s still a solid title that clearly garnered a big fan base.
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Xbox Series X|S
Other Xbox Series X|S Games That Sold Well In 2024: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Madden NFL 25, and NBA 2K25.
Microsoft hasn’t made things easy for those who love statistics. The company hasn’t been very open with sales data for Xbox Series X|S games, so it’s unclear what the actual best-selling game on the system is.
Yet, it is clear that the best-selling title on the system in 2024 in the US was EA Sports College Football 25. The exact number of sales it has had hasn’t been revealed, but it beats out the likes of Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare 3.
The game sold so well because it had been many years since the last College Football game. In fact, the series had an 11-year hiatus before EA Sports College Football 25. The series came back strong with a game that provided an excellent core football experience and brilliant presentation. It was a breath of fresh air after many years of Madden being the only American football game on the market.
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