Sony’s PlayStation brand marks its twentieth anniversary with a major milestone. According to VGChartz, the PlayStation 4 has now sold 15 million units worldwide. What a way to end a year of dominance…
The unprecedented success of the PS4 surprised even Sony. It seemed destined for greatness from the beginning. Sony marketed their latest toy with the tagline ‘Greatness Awaits’. It only took 24 hours from when it launched in November of 2013 to sell over a million units. Sony’s last biggest console success that had a healthy lead over its rivals was the PS2. According to Digital Trends, it is also the biggest selling console of all time. But we would not be surprised if the PS4 breaks that record in by the end of its lifespan.
The PS3 had to contend with the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, but the PS4 has had a brilliant start compared to the Xbox One. It was reported earlier (by Microsoft) that shipments of the Xbox One to retailers was closing in on 10 million units. Worldwide Xbox One sales figures are reportedly in the region of 8 million units.
Right from the start, Sony intended to appeal to the gamers. They designed a console that was developer-friendly so that the games look visually attractive and entertaining at the same time. They allowed buying and selling and full usage rights of physical discs. Wired reported that there was no restriction to be connected to the internet as the Xbox One had pre-launch.
Unlike the Xbox One, the PS4 was not marketed to be an all-in-one entertainment system. At the same time, it broke Sony tradition by market a bundled media device as part of the console as with previous consoles. Even the Blu-Ray playback feature was not touted as a selling point as much as it was with the PS3.
According to The Financial Post, gamers preferred to go with a relatively powerful console in the PS4 since it was priced $100 less than the Xbox One. The PS4 on retail has reportedly sold over 50 million games.
Now Sony has stepped on the gas and is dominating its rivals. It is up to the Xbox One to step up its game and catch up before the PS4 crosses the finish line!