Microsoft's Xbox One X console sold 80,000 units during its first week on sale, figures show.

Xbox One X

Xbox One X

The much-hyped new machine matched the sales record of the Nintendo Switch - which launched earlier this year - according to GamesIndustry.biz.

By contrast, Sony's 4K-capable PlayStation 4 Pro, which launched in November 2016, only sold 50,000 units during its first week, and the console took four weeks to reach the 80,000 landmark.

It has been confirmed too, that the bulk of the Xbox One X consoles sold were the special Project Scorpio edition, which features a different finish and has the words 'Project Scorpio' printed on the machine.

The sales figures arrived shortly after Xbox executive Shannon Loftis admitted she hates having to break promises to gamers.

Loftis said there is a fine line between keeping fans in the loop about exciting developments and then promising them things that subsequently aren't delivered.

She explained: "Games are a highly experimental medium. And it's a line that we have to walk between talking to gamers about the games we would like to make and knowing that we are going to be able to deliver them.

"The worst part of my job is when I have to break promises. Obviously we had 'Crackdown 3' planned for a November 7 launch and we had to announce a few months ago that we had to move it."