PS4 Hits 18M Units Sold

By now most gamers are plenty familiar with the success story that is the PlayStation 4. Since its launch in November 2013, Sony’s eighth generation console has been a sales giant, outpacing its competition (Xbox One and Wii U) by leaps and bounds.

Sure, the PS4 surrendered its top spot on the console sales charts for a brief stint during the holidays, but it soon reclaimed the title in January. Now, Sony has announced that the PS4 console is up to 20.2 million units worldwide, a mark it just eclipsed on March 1st.

News of the PS4’s latest sales achievement comes courtesy of IB Times who also have a quote from Sony CEO Andrew House that reads:

"We are so grateful for the enormous support from PlayStation fans worldwide, and we are truly humbled that gamers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play. We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver unique and interactive entertainment experiences powered by the network and the PS4 system's deep social capabilities."

It’s been a steady stream of successes for PlayStation 4 since launch, with the console surpassing even the most conservative of sales estimates. In January, for example, the current-gen console eclipsed the 18 million mark, which is huge. So huge, in fact, that some analysts are speculating that the PS4 might come close to the PS2 or Wii in terms of final sales tallies. Obviously, Sony still has a ways to go if they want PS4 to become one of the best selling consoles of all time, but the company is certainly off to a great start.

Over the last year, we have heard many analysis firms speculate on the sales potential of the PS4, but seeing the hard numbers actually puts the console’s success into greater perspective. Sony truly pulled a 180 when it came to their eighth console by making the device consumer friendly on multiple levels. That approach also helped Sony get a sizeable lead over Microsoft’s Xbox One, which were around 10.9 million units at the end of 2014.

Then again, 20.2 million units may be a great start, but if the last console generation was any indication this will be a long battle. Microsoft has plenty of opportunities to make up ground, and conversely, Sony has the potential to build on their lead.

What do you think of the PlayStation 4’s early success? How successful do you think the console will be in the long term?

Source: IBTimes