Xbox Exclusive STALKER 2 Achieves a Major Feat That PlayStation’s Poster Child Astro Bot Took 2 Months to Reach

Xbox exclusive STALKER 2 has achieved a major feat by crossing 1 million copies sold, merely three days after the game’s release. To put this into context, PlayStation’s Astro Bot, which was released in September, didn’t cross 1 million copies sold until November, even though Astro Bot has been one of the best-reviewed games of 2024 and has a Metacritic score of 94.

Moreover, it is also a contender to win the 2024 GOTY award at the Game Awards next month. On paper, Astro Bot seems to be the better game, which leaves us to wonder why it has taken PlayStation’s poster child such a long time to cross the same mark. Let’s take a look.

STALKER 2 is available on more platforms than Astro Bot

No wonder it feels a bit crowdy in the Zone. A million copies were sold, and much more stalkers joined the artifact hunt with Game Pass.

This is just the start of our unforgettable adventure. The Heart of Chornobyl emanates stronger with each of us.

Thank You, stalkers! ☢️ pic.twitter.com/zslF7I8vR1

— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) November 22, 2024

One reason why STALKER 2 was able to reach 1 million copies sold before Astro Bot is that it is available on more platforms. While Astro Bot is exclusive to the PlayStation 5, the newest STALKER game can be played on the Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Moreover, Astro Bot did not have a fanbase comparable to STALKER’s before the game’s full release. STALKER, on the other hand, is a long-running franchise, with the first game being released back in 2007.

There was more buildup to the sequel’s release, and longtime fans of the franchise were desperately waiting to get their hands on it. This advantage in popularity is also responsible for STALKER 2 being able to match Astro Bot’s sales within three days.

Apart from these two reasons, we really can’t draw a comparison as to why one game is selling better than the other. However, Astro Bot’s sales should also start to rise soon as more and more people begin to purchase the PlayStation 5 during the upcoming holiday season.

Did Xbox Game Pass hurt or help the sale of STALKER 2?

For those of you who don’t know, STALKER 2 was available on Game Pass on the day of its launch. So there are a lot of players who were able to play the game without paying for it in the first place.

However, this doesn’t necessarily hurt the game’s sales, because those who wish to have it in their gaming library will end up buying it. Furthermore, this title is so easily accessible that more and more people can check it out for themselves. 

The same can’t be said for Astro Bot, as you cannot play the game if you don’t own a PlayStation 5. If the title was on Game Pass, more people would’ve been able to check it out, which would’ve led to an increase in its popularity and demand.

STALKER 2 took this route and was able to blow Astro Bot’s sales numbers out of the water. Hypothetically speaking, this wouldn’t have been the case if STALKER was an Xbox exclusive. What do you think about STALKER 2 matching Astro Bot’s sales numbers in merely 3 days? Let us know in the comments below.