The PlayStation 4 is a testament to Sony’s excellence in console gaming. A tradition that dates back to the mid 90’s when Sony released the aptly-named PlayStation, its debut console to compete with the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. But as Sony’s fourth generation console hit the market, even Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 owners abandoned ship, and are now putting their faith in the PlayStation 4. The question is, why? Is it the price point? Is it the exclusive titles? Is it because the PS4 is THE console for gaming? The answer is… All of the above!

According to re/code, a recent Nielsen survey concluded that 31% of PS4 owners had not previously owned a PS3, but did own an Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii. Consumers tend to be quite price-conscious so by charging $100 less for the Xbox than the PS4, Sony was on to a winner. When the PS3 launched it came with a $600 price tag which many fans stated was ludicrously over-priced. But this time around the Japanese giant learned from its mistake, and by offering a lower price and unrivaled power was able to dominate the market.

Another reason, according to re/code, was that gamers had purchased mostly cross-platform titles like Activision’s ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’, Ubisoft’s ‘Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag’, EA’s ‘Battlefield 4’ and Take-Two’s ‘NBA 2K14’. If the same titles are available on both Xbox One and the PS4, then the latter is priced lower…

Though Microsoft later ended up reducing the price of the Xbox One to match the PS4 it was already too late, and Sony had recorded sales in excess of 10 million units.

In the minds of most gamers the PS4 is the way to go and as the sales figures imply, the numbers do not lie. The exclusives and cross-platform titles have all performed well. The Xbox One did benefit from the blockbuster ‘Titanfall’, but even the sequel to that is rumored to be expected on the PS4.

The high price point and no ‘killer’ title to compliment the Kinect was a deal-breaker for prospective Xbox buyers. Sony even introduced an awesome upgrade program that allowed owners to select PS3 titles and upgrade them to PS4 version for just $10… It just doesn’t get better than that.

It appears the only way a rival can now top Sony is through AAA exclusives. But with the PS4 boasting a larger install base than anyone else, even developers don’t want to give away exclusive titles.

Well played Sony… Well played!