Sony shifts a record-breaking 10m Playstation 4 consoles in 9 months
Sony announced it has sold 10 million consoles to consumers worldwide since it launched in November 2013, marking one of the gaming giant's most successful console releases ever.
The PS4 is so far ahead of struggling Xbox One
The Japanese firm unveiled the figures at the Gamescom expo in Cologne while showcasing upcoming features and titles for the console.
Jim Ryan, president and chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said there are 10 million active PS4 consoles worldwide, in the space of nine months and that the figures does not include devices that have been sold to retaillers.
Andrew House, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, said: “The responses we have received for the PS4 system's unique gameplay experiences powered by the network, along with its vast game portfolio has been phenomenal, and I am absolutely delighted that PS4 was able to reach this commemorative milestone in less than nine months.
“We're so grateful for the enormous support from PlayStation gamers worldwide, and we look forward to bringing even more exciting content and services in the months ahead."
The figures are in stark contrast with those released by Microsoft for its XBox One, which has reported five million consoles have been sold worldwide.
Microsoft earlier this week announced that it had lost £238m launching the Xbox One.
A source of further embarrassment for Microsoft is a 2008 quote from then Xbox executive Don Mattrick who was discussing the previous generation of gaming consoles. “History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the [console] generation battle," he said at the time.
Similarly, Nintendo’s Wii has sold poorly, with only seven million units shipped, despite releasing a year earlier. Lacklustre sales cost the company £57m in the first quarter of the year although the developer stressed it expects sales to pick up later in the year after new titles are released.