The PlayStation 4 just made history
For comparison, Sony announced it had sold more than 20 million PlayStation 4 units back in March. And the company says it plans to ship another 17 million units between now and next March.
It's tough to know how Sony's figures stack up against the popular Xbox One console, since Microsoft no longer reports Xbox unit numbers sold each quarter. Microsoft most recently said (via CNBC) it sold 1.4 million Xbox consoles for the three months ending June 30; it did not say, however, if these were Xbox One consoles or earlier Xbox consoles.
Xbox One aside, the PlayStation 4 is still way ahead of Nintendo's Wii U, which was released a year prior to the PlayStation 4 but has only sold 10.7 million units as of September 30. Nintendo reportedly plans to introduce a new console next year.
As for Sony, the road ahead looks bright for PlayStation. There are major exclusives coming over the next year, including "Uncharted 4" and "The Last Guardian," which should help sales. And Sony also plans to launch its first virtual reality headset for the PS4 next year as well, which should excite the company's fan base. But at the same time, Sony says the headset will apparently cost as much as "a new gaming platform," which could spell slow adoption until PlayStation VR builds up its library with must-have games or gets its eventual price drop.
The PlayStation 4 will likely be a hot item this holiday season. But if you buy a PS4 for yourself or a loved one, there's a crucial addition you should also buy, which makes the console much more valuable.