Microsoft has sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses so far

Microsoft revealed today that it has sold 60 million Windows 8 licences to date. Tammi Reller, Windows Chief Financial and Chief Marketing Officer, revealed the figures during the JP Morgan Tech Forum at CES. The number includes sales to OEMs for PCs and upgrades, according to Microsoft — meaning it isn’t a true reflection of exactly how many people are using Windows 8 right now.

The software maker said in November that it had “sold” 40 million licenses of Windows 8, a month after the operating system’s debut on October 26th. Microsoft sold 60 million licenses of Windows 7 after just over two months of sales, so the figures are certainly similar. However, Microsoft has heavily discounted Windows 8 upgrades this time around, meaning it’s likely many more users are taking the plunge sooner rather than waiting for the price promotion to end.

Windows 8 license sales appear to be going steadily, but the PC market still hasn’t witnessed the typical boost that a new release of Windows usually provides. There’s certainly a potential for touch displays and Microsoft’s new operating system to appeal to consumers, but with sales of Windows machines among consumers reportedly down 11 percent year-over-year, it looks like it might be a long game for Windows 8 before its impact is felt.