PS4 Lifetime Sales Prediction

There's nothing like a good round of sales numbers to show which of the two leading consoles - the PS4 and Xbox One - came out on top last month. Both systems have continued to sell well, and in recent months, there's been a bit of a back and forth between the two. This should be viewed as a good thing: healthy competition compels Sony and Microsoft to improve their respective performances.

Back in February 2015, the PS4 took the top spot on the sales chart, and went on to claim it again in March. In April, the Xbox One put an end to the PS. This marks the second time that the Xbox One pulled off an upset; it did the exact same thing last year.

Presumably, Sony wasn't too pleased about having its streak broken - especially after claiming that the PS4 was the more powerful console - and set out to reclaim its spot. Whatever Sony did worked, because according to the latest round of sales numbers from the NPD Group, the PlayStation 4 was back at the top for the month of May.

Specific numbers haven't been released - as they often aren't - but it's safe to say the total amount of PS4s sold since its launch have blown past the 20.2 million we reported on a few months ago. Additionally, the system's performance last month should definitely make Sony feel more confident about raising it's own profit forecast.

In a statement provided to VentureBeat, Sony thanked its massive fanbase for propelling the PS4 to the head of the pack:

As we head into E3, we would like to thank gamers for making PS4 the top-selling console and the leader in software sales in the U.S. in May. We are truly humbled by this success and we look forward to sharing what’s next for PS4 at our E3 press conference on June 15.

It will be interesting to see how the two consoles perform this month, as E3 2015 is sure to bring even more attention to both machines. The recently revealed 1TB Xbox One could be be what the Xbox One needs to dethrone the PS4 again. That said, rumors are curiculating regarding a 1TB PS4, as well as a PS4 price cut, so the battle between the two companies could end in a stalemate.

The owners of both systems have been requesting larger hard drives for a while. If Microsoft's going to answer, it's in Sony's best interest to do that same, at least if the company wants the PlayStation 4 to maintain a comfortable sales lead.

Sources: IGN, VentureBeat