When the current generation of consoles initially launched, there was one clear winner in terms of sales, with Sony's PS4 coming out on top. The device topped 1 million units sold in just 24 hours, going on to sell 5.3 million units before the device even reached Japanese shores. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Xbox One struggled out of the gate, falling into an awkward second place in the race to become the must-have home device for gamers.

In recent months, however, the Xbox One has had something of a comeback, both in terms of sales and positive feedback from the gaming community. The console leapfrogged the PS4 in April of this year, getting a rare victory against Sony's monolith. A number of high-profile new projects and additional Xbox One features have brought new gamers on board, and although the console is still selling terribly in Japan, there were signs that Microsoft could continue to build pace.

According to an executive from within Microsoft, this trend is likely to improve, with the Xbox One home to a number of features that other consoles can simply not provide. Speaking in an interview with GamesIndustry International, Microsoft's corporate vice-president Kudo Tsunoda explained that the company's home device is "doing things that can't be done on any other console." Even though the PS4 may still be winning the commerical wars, Tsunoda believes that Microsoft is winning in terms of content.

According to Tsunoda, the Xbox One provides players with content that other devices cannot achieve. Chief amongst these is a selection of exclusive titles, with the Microsoft exec explaining that the Xbox One has "a lot more exclusive games than any other platform." Citing seven exclusive titles up for release in the holiday season of 2015, such as the likes of Halo 5: Guardians, Tsunoda went on to explain that the console has impressive haul of indie games as well, which could be a response to a loosened launch parity requirement from ID@Xbox.

In particular, however, Tsunoda talked about perhaps the most anticipated new Xbox One feature - backward compatibility with Xbox 360 titles. Arriving this November, Xbox One owners will be able to play 100 Xbox 360 titles on their device, whilst Phil Spencer has recently hinted that original Xbox games may also be on the cards. According to Tsunoda, the move was a no-brainer. "With backward compatibility, it isn't something that we just think gamers might want," said Tsunoda, explaining that backward compatibility "was the number one most requested feature for Xbox One by far."

It remains to be seen what effect this move, as well as enhanced Xbox-to-PC support through Windows 10, will mean for the future of the Xbox One. Microsoft is hoping to see millions more Xbox One sales in the coming months, with the publisher expecting many Xbox 360 owners to migrate due to the flagship console's backward compatibility. Let's see whether the Xbox One can continue its impressive stretch of form.

Source: GamesIndustry International