Demand for the PS4 has been astronomical, so much that it has surprised Sony and left some consumers fighting for weeks to acquire one. So what do the numbers look like?
As of December 28th, 2013, the PS4 sold a total of 4.2 million units worldwide. It doubled its total sales from December 3rd to December 28th despite shortages in many of its 53 supported countries.
What’s most shocking about this accomplishment is that it doesn’t account for the last 11 days of sales. 4.2 million PS4s have been purchased within just six weeks of being available. That’s more than any gaming console in the history of video games, and by a long shot.
Rumors state that there are still hundreds of thousands of consumers waiting to receive their PS4 via the GameStop wait list. On eBay the console is still being flipped for over $500.
Microsoft revealed yesterday that it had sold 3 million units within a similar timeframe. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s total Wii U sales are right around 5.2 million. The PS4 is biting at the Wii U’s heels in one-sixth the time frame.
Sony’s thoughtful PR and $100 lower hardware cost has paid off so far. However, the PS4 game library is still suffering, but if any company can do something about that it’s Sony.
