Xbox Sets a New Monthly Active Xbox Users Record

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Published Apr 30, 2026, 2:13 PM EDT

Jake Valentine is a Staff Writer at DualShockers with more than two decades of experience covering the video game industry. Since 2004, he has written about games across news, reviews, guides, lists, interviews, and event coverage, with experience covering major shows, preview events, breaking news, and one-on-one developer interviews.

Before joining DualShockers, Jake contributed to Outrun Gaming, GameRant, and The Game Fanatics. He has also worked in editorial, brand management, and operations roles, giving him a broad perspective on both games coverage and digital media. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Media and Broadcasting.

It’s no secret that the Xbox brand has been struggling for quite some time.

Their sales and performance are constantly lagging behind those of their two biggest competitors, Nintendo and Sony. They recently replaced their longtime CEO, Phil Spencer, due to his retirement. Sarah Bond, former President of Xbox and Microsoft Gaming, also resigned.

Since then, the company promoted Asha Sharma to the position, and from day one, she’s been saying all the right things. Sharma has expressed a desire to go back to what made Xbox popular back during the 360 days, expressing how the company needs to win back fans. It’s a sentiment echoed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

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“In the near term, we are focused on fundamentals, prioritizing quality and serving our core users better,” he said on the call. “And you also see this in Xbox, where the team is recommitting to our core fans and players, and shaping the future of play. Last week’s Game Pass changes are one example of how we are staying responsive to customer feedback.”

While hardware sales continue to lag behind, according to a recent earnings report, there is a glimmer of good news.

A Record for Monthly Xbox Active Users Was Set Last Quarter

Nadella continued on the call, confirming that the company set a new record for monthly Xbox active users during the previous quarter. He also added that a new record was set for game streaming hours. Those numbers are no doubt benefiting from the end-of-the-year 2025 release of Call of Duty, as well as the early 2026 release of a new World of Warcraft expansion and re-launch of Burning Crusade Anniversary.

It’s not all good news, though, as Microsoft CFO Amy Hood adds that Xbox revenue declined in the previous quarter.

Revenue decreased 7% and 9% in constant currency. Xbox content and services revenue decreased 5% and 7% in constant currency against a prior year comparable that benefited from strong first-party content performance.

The strong first-party content performance from 2025 no doubt points to the slew of releases from Xbox Games Studios. Avowed, from Obsidian Entertainment, was released earlier in the year. We also saw the surprise shadow-drop of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. By comparison’s sake, it’s been far quieter this year.

This is a trend that Hood expects to continue.

In Xbox content and services, we expect revenue to decline in the low-teens, reflecting a prior year comparable that benefited from strong first-party content, as well as the recent price changes for Xbox Game Pass as we focus on delivering more value to gamers. Hardware revenue should decline year-over-year.

It’s clear that the Xbox brand still has plenty of work to do, but for now, we’re seeing some positive returns on its long-term plans. We’ll see if it translates to increased revenue and hardware sales.