Sony has sold 100 million PlayStation 4 consoles, digital downloads now outnumber disc copies

The Sony PlayStation 4 may not be the most powerful gaming console in the world – that will be the Microsoft Xbox One X – or the most versatile when it comes to portability – that will be the Nintendo Switch – but it certainly is the most popular gaming console in the world right now. Sony Interactive is out with its latest earnings and numbers seem to suggest its current-generation PlayStation 4 (and PlayStation 4 Pro) console is evidently going stong(er) even after all this while. 

Sony says it sold over 3.2 million PS4 units in the quarter ended June 30 bringing the total number of consoles sold globally (so far) to 100 million - Sony had sold 96.8 million units after the previous quarter. Sony has been able to sell 100 million units (and counting) of the PS4 globally after just 5 years and 7 months (after launch), which is impressive. The thing that really sets the ball rolling though is that Sony has already announced the PS5 that’s set to launch in 2020 – and even though sales are bound to fall (eventually), selling 100 million units is nothing short of extraordinary.  

The numbers are surely outstanding considering that the the PS4 and the PS4 Pro aren’t even the most powerful gaming consoles in the world right now. The Microsoft Xbox One X is. Which invariably means their popularity among console gamers is largely because of Sony’s expansive games catalogue of exclusives. Something that Microsoft has failed to crack, leading to dismal sales of the Xbox One X in comparison. And with titles such as Kojima’s Death Stranding incoming, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the days to come. 

Sony has also revealed that digital downloads now outnumber physical disc copies - which mean more people are now buying digital games.  

While not as popular as the PS2 (the PS2 has sold over 150 million units making it the best-selling console of all time), the PS4 has managed to carve quite a fan following of its own despite some stiff competition from Microsoft (USP: backwards compatible Xbox games) and Nintendo (the Switch has earned the title of being the fastest selling gaming console in the US). As such, it’s no surprise that the PS5 is one of the most highly anticipated consoles in the world and with features like 8K graphics support, SSD storage, ray-tracing and backwards compatibility confirmed, it looks like it’s going to be a compelling one that.   

Also Read:  Microsoft’s Next High-end Xbox Is Codenamed Project Scarlett, Arriving In 2020 To Take On PS5 And Google Stadia