While I agree with what you are saying generally, that boded part I just don't agree with. Because if what you use to determine that console sales are important to sony and Nintendo because they disclose sales numbers, then that just puts MS in worse light because they do so too, but only when its ahead of Sony or the best in that specific month. The funny thing is, if MS were where sony was at sales-wise, they would do a lot more than release quarterly reports on console sales.
MS are still in this console fight simply because they can afford to be in it, and they feel they can win. And no one realistically expects Xbox to be trading blows in sales with PS, but losing three or 4 to one isn't something I believe anyone at MS would want.
All I am saying, is that console sales are a very important metric to measure the success of any gaming platform. And it would be ridiculous to say otherwise. Now if to MS, as long as they are on track to hit 50M ss in any given gen is enough for them, and their own internal projections, that's fine. But to say they aren't important is myopic at best. Eg... forget the first Xbox, they were not expecting to just come in and win, but the 360 showed them they could. If however, the SX consoles somehow ends this gen only having sod like 30M (impossible) and gamepass subs stall at like 20M.... I do not think there will be another Xbox console after that.