Here’s How the PlayStation 4 Sold During the Holidays
Here’s How the PlayStation 4 Sold During the Holidays
2 minute read
A picture taken on November 29, 2013 in a Parisian store shows the joystick of the new Sony Playstation 4 video game console (PS4).JOEL SAGET—AFP/Getty Images
Sony just revealed its post-holiday hand, announcing it sold 5.7 million PlayStation 4 video game consoles over the holidays. The system’s new install base worldwide? Just shy of 36 million units. It’s sold in 124 countries.
The company started counting November 23, so that’s 5.7 million for six weeks. Microsoft, Sony’s nearest competitor, hasn’t said how many Xbox Ones it sold. In fact, the company’s been mum on Xbox One sales for a very long time, relegating its pruned divulgences to dull generalities about exclusive software sales or the number of votes players cast on “Xbox Feedback.”
They’re harder figures to contrast, but Sony also reports it sold through 35 million copies of PlayStation 4 software, including retail and digital, and say annual memberships with its PlayStation Network were up by 60%.
These Are the Best Looking Video Games of 2015
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Design Process: "We took inspiration from various cultures and places. No Man’s Land, one of the biggest areas to explore in the game, is very Slavic at its heart – it’s filled with ancient secrets, murky swamps and dense, dark forests." - Jose Teixeira, Senior Visual Effects Artist, CD Projekt REDCD Projekt REDMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Design Process: "This cut scene is expressed as a technique called SSS (Sub-Surface Scattering). The soft shadow is scattered on his skin from the light to convey a certain mood." - Kojima ProductionsKojima ProductionsRise of the Tomb Raider Design Process: "...the world is an enemy. We strive to build environments which deliver harsh survival conditions, as well as treacherous traversal. This supports our premise that the secrets of history are protected by the most beautiful, yet hostile environments on Earth" - Crystal DynamicsCrystal DynamicsAlto's Adventure Design Process: "We wanted the world to have a lighthearted charm, while also feeling grounded in it’s own reality – to immerse the players in an environment that captures the essence of what it means to be alone in the wilderness." - SnowmanSnowmanStar Wars Battlefront Design Process: "We wanted to build a game that was faithful to the Star Wars we love, using a combination of the latest technology, with talented artists who could put it together in a way that feels immersive and inviting." - Johannes Soderqvist, Art Director, Star Wars BattlefrontJosh Raab for TIMEBloodborne Design Process: "Bloodborne is set in a dark and secluded city called Yharnam, a gothic cityscape filled with Victorian motifs and shrouded in prejudice and mystery. The processing power of the PlayStation 4 allowed us to bring to life the gritty and horrifying gothic Victorian architecture and décor..." - FromSoftwareFromSoftwareSOMA Design Process: "First and foremost, we wanted to create spaces that felt real and functional. Environments rich in detail, and full of the clutter that you'd expect in that sort of space, to always keep the player immersed." - Frictional GamesFrictional GamesCall of Duty: Black Ops 3 Design Process: "We’re most proud when our technology enables gameplay or player expression, such as battling through the dynamic water or creating unique weapon skins." - Mark Gordon, VP of Development & CTO, TreyarchActivisionForza Motorsport 6 Design Process: "The team did a fantastic job of creating wet-weather conditions in stunning realism, highlighting the danger and intensity at the heart of racing in the rain. In our recreation of rain, players struggle for traction and tires aquaplane across fully-simulated and accurately-placed puddles." - Turn 10 StudiosTurn 10 StudiosPrune Design Process: "I was really drawn to the minimalist philosophy of East Asian ink wash paintings, where every brush stroke matters. This essentially became the game's central theme, deeply affecting everything from the game design to the art." - Joel McdonaldJoel Mcdonald
And no, while mighty impressive, 5.7 million units isn’t a holiday record. Remember we’re talking worldwide sales. While I don’t have the figure in front of me, I believe Nintendo’s Wii remains the system to beat, having sold over 5 million systems between November/December 2009 in the U.S. alone, a smaller window than Sony is using here.
But 36 million at the slightly-past-two-years mark suggests the PS4 is in fine fettle, and with Microsoft’s note about the Xbox One outpacing life-to-date Xbox 360 sales (however far behind the PS4), it’s hard to find fault with the argument (counterintuitive not so long ago) that consoles aren’t going anywhere.
