Microsoft on Xbox One vs. PS4 -- "We're Innovating in Different Ways"

Although the Xbox One outsold the PlayStation 4 in the United States last month, it's believed Sony's PlayStation 4, which has sold more than 43 million units, is the top-seller of new-generation machines. In a new interview with Engadget, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg was asked how the company is trying to close the gap, or if it's more focused on the customers it does have than the competition.

"We're focused on a few things. I'd say first we're focused on growing the user base of our games, bringing our games to as many gamers as possible; that's why you see a lot of our big franchises on Windows 10," he explained. "That allows more gamers than ever before to play titles like Gears of War, Forza Horizon, etc. From a console ecosystem standpoint, we're seeing really healthy console sales and really healthy engagement. Year over year, for the month of July, we saw Xbox One usage up 18 percent, so also really healthy."

Greenberg acknowledged that Sony has had "a lot of success as well." The overall market, combining Xbox One and PS4, is "really healthy" right now, Greenberg said, while game sales are also "strong." The executive added that Microsoft and Sony are "innovating in different ways," citing Microsoft's console/PC unification efforts specifically.

"It's been a good industry for both of us, and we're innovating in different ways," Greenberg explained. "We're innovating in a way where we know a lot of gamers are multi-device gamers--they don't just buy one system--and so we want to be able to have the same types of experiences on Xbox Live, the same games, the same friends, both in the living room on their console or at work, on vacation or at school on their PC. You should be able to stay connected, and play the same games through things like Play Anywhere. That's really been where we've been focused."

PlayStation president Andrew House has suggested Sony does not plan to imitate Microsoft's Play Anywhere feature, saying recently he's unsure if there is actually demand for it. "Yes, there was a big emphasis from the folks at Microsoft on Xbox and PC cross-play. It remains to be seen whether there is latent large consumer demand for that," he said during an investor briefing.

Microsoft and Sony are coming out with new and improved consoles in the time ahead. Microsoft's Project Scorpio system, which it calls the "most powerful console ever made," is slated to launch in holiday 2017. Sony is also working on a souped-up machine, PlayStation Neo, which could see its formal unveiling during an event in New York City next month.