The PlayStation 4 just hit another incredible milestone

Sony's just passed 50 million PlayStation 4 consoles sold since launch in November 2013.

Sony

That makes PlayStation 4 the top-selling game console in the world at the moment, over Microsoft's Xbox One (~30 million) and Nintendo's Wii U (~13 million).

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

About one-fifth of those owners are new owners, as of the past few months: Sony sold 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles between early May 2016 and December 6, 2016. That puts sales in the neighborhood of over 1 million sold every month, which keeps it locked in as the fastest-selling PlayStation console of all-time.

This isn't a new position for Sony's PlayStation 4 - the console has been on top (in terms of sales) since it launched, more or less. There's been the occasional blip, with Xbox One outselling PlayStation 4 here and there, but the PS4 has largely dominated sales (and the attention of millions) since it first launched in November 2013.

How far ahead is Sony compared to the competition? Pretty far, at this point.

We know that Nintendo's console, the Wii U, sold terribly. Compared to Sony's 50 million PlayStation 4 consoles, Nintendo had sold just under 13 million when it last reported numbers back in March 2016. Worse? The Wii U was available for a full year longer than the PlayStation 4.

Nintendo's outright moving on from the Wii U, with a new console named Nintendo Switch launching in March 2017.

Microsoft

"Halo 5: Guardians" star Master Chief shakes hands with a fan.

As far as Microsoft goes, the company stopped reporting worldwide sales numbers for the Xbox One many months ago. Instead, Microsoft trumpets its usage numbers - how many hours people spend playing Xbox One games, for example. The closest we have to numbers is an approximation based on something that game publisher EA said during an investor call, which put the Xbox One in the neighborhood of 20 million sold (this was back in late January 2016).

With the launch of the new PlayStation 4 Slim this past September, and the slightly more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro in November, it appears that more people than ever are buying the PlayStation 4. "We're truly delighted that the PS4 community continues to flourish since launch three years ago," Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said of the 50 million number.

The PlayStation 4 currently costs $299, and the Pro model costs $399 - both are available in stores now.