Microsoft claims, without proof, that Xbox One X pre-order sales are record-breaking

The Xbox One X is an expensive upgrade to the existing Xbox One consoles. It features improved specifications, as well as the ability to run games at 4K with HDR. While the Xbox One S can output 4K, that is only for TV and movies -- not games. With all of that said, you would think that Xbox One X wouldn't be terribly popular since its pricey benefits are only beneficial to some.

Well, if you thought Xbox One X was merely a niche product, you would be wrong, apparently. According to Microsoft, pre-orders for the "X" variant of its gaming console are not only selling very well but breaking records too. It claims that Xbox One X pre-orders have sold faster than ones for both the original Xbox One and Xbox One S.

"Sunday night in Germany we unveiled the Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition, a special edition console designed for our biggest fans. That night we launched pre-orders worldwide and we have been overwhelmed by your response. Within just a few days, we saw record-setting sell-out times and are currently sold out in many countries around the world. You, our biggest fans, have pre-ordered more Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition consoles in the first five days than any Xbox ever," says Mike Nichols, corporate vice president of Marketing for Xbox, Microsoft.

ALSO READ: Razer unveils 'Wolverine Ultimate' wired pro gaming controller for Xbox One and PC

Nichols further says, "Although our fans may no longer be able to pre-order the Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition in their country, we know people are still anxious to get their hands on the world’s most powerful console. We will be announcing details of the next wave of Xbox One X standard edition pre-orders next month so stay tuned for more information."

I take Microsoft's claim with a grain of salt, because as is fairly common with the company, there is no supplied data to back it up. In other words, without knowing exact pre-order numbers, we don't know how significant the sales truly are. Plus, Microsoft seems to be intentionally comparing only the "first five days" -- what about over 3 days, or 4 days, for instance? It could be that the company chose "five days" as other date ranges either did not make its case or were less impressive.

Not to mention, not everyone that pre-orders a console intends to buy it, or keep it for themselves. Truth be told, I pre-ordered Xbox One X despite not wanting one, just in case I change my mind later. My plan is to cancel the pre-order before launch unless I am swayed to keep it for some unknown reason. I think many people do this nowadays, out of fear of being left out later. Let's not forget that many folks just pre-order with the intention of reselling it for a profit later. In other words, high pre-sale numbers don't necessarily signal excitement by fans.

Do you believe Microsoft's claim that Xbox One X pre-orders are so high? Tell me in the comments below.