Microsoft has claimed that Halo 4 was the "biggest entertainment launch of the year".
The sci-fi shooter racked up sales of more than $220m on its first day of release - more than any album, film or DVD release.
The title should easily pass $300m in global sales this week, which would make it the biggest Halo launch ever, Microsoft said.
Its launch was celebrated last when Microsoft flew a 50-feet 'UFO' over London, complete with more than 113,000 LEDs.
In all the Halo series has made about $3.38bn in revenue since 2001.
"We're thrilled that Halo 4 has emerged as the biggest US entertainment launch of the year," said Phil Spencer, corporate vice-president of Microsoft Studios, in a statement.
Meanwhile Halo will face stiff competition from Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which went on sale at midnight.
Activision's flagship shooter is the latest instalment of the biggest-selling series on the Xbox 360.