After claiming a major sales victory for the PlayStation 4 in January, and with the Japanese launch of the console looming, Sony reveals that it has sold over 5.3 million units to date. And those numbers are units actually sold through to customers, not just shipped to retail shelves, according to Sony.
That number includes all PS4 consoles sold beginning on November 15 when the system first launched, through February 8. With the PS4 poised to launch in its manufacturing company’s homeland of Japan on February 22, that number should see a notable bump by the end of the month.
“I am thrilled that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play throughout and beyond the holiday season,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “We are delighted that according to the NPD Group’s latest data, PS4 was January’s top-selling console in the United States. The PS4 system’s momentum just keeps growing stronger, and we are extremely grateful for the continued passion and support of PlayStation fans. February 22 sees the launch of PS4 in Japan, and I’m looking forward to Japanese fans sharing the excitement of the deep social capabilities and entertainment experiences only possible on PS4.”
The January sales House references were more than just the news that the PS4 outsold the Xbox One throughout the month; it did so by selling nearly twice as many units as its competitor. At the time neither Sony nor the NPD released exact numbers, but the last official tally for the PS4 was around 4.2 million after the first week of January.
Sony’s fiscal year ends on March 31, 2014. Once that report is available, we should have a better sense of how the sales break down, including which regions the system saw the highest sales. At this point it’s difficult to estimate how many units Sony may sell between now and then, especially since the console is still limited by its production. Most major online retailers in North America, including Target, Best Buy, and GameSpot, are listed as out of stock, while a few like Amazon do have units available… although at a higher price.
Before this turns into a PS4 vs. Xbox One fight, let’s not forget that Microsoft is doing just fine. As of late January, the Xbox One has shipped over 3.9 million units as well.
