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PlayStation 4 continues its console dominance with 70 million units sold

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PlayStation 4 Pro review
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
PlayStation 4 console sales have surpassed 70 million, according to Sony Interactive Entertainment. The new mark (70.6 million) was calculated through December 3, and unlike many reports on console numbers, the figures reflect the number of consoles bought by consumers rather than merely shipped to stores.

The new figures account for all PlayStation 4 models and demonstrates that the family of systems remains popular more than four years after its original launch.

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Exactly one year ago, Sony reported PS4 sales of 50 million. Tacking on 20 million more sales throughout 2017 — in the midst of the Nintendo Switch’s thriving launch — is no small feat.

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Software sales for PS4 perhaps reveal even more about Sony’s dominance in console gaming. 617.8 million games have been sold, breaking down to almost nine games per console owner. Last year at this time, software sales stood at 369.6 million copies, or roughly seven games per console owner. The surge can likely be attributed to a strong 2017 lineup, including PS4 exclusives such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, and Gran Turismo Sport.

PlayStation VR hasn’t seen the same impressive growth, however. Sony reported that its virtual reality headset has reached two million units sold. In June, we learned that PSVR hit the one million mark, short of Sony’s expectations. The PSVR appears to be gaining steam based on the new numbers, but since they account for Black Friday (when PSVR saw its best deals thus far), we suspect the headset has remained a niche commodity among Sony’s wide user base.

As for how the PlayStation 4 compares to its competitors, it’s safe to say Sony has a robust and likely insurmountable lead. Microsoft no longer shares sales figures for the Xbox One, but research firm SuperData estimated that sales had reached 26 million at the beginning of 2017. Even if the Xbox One had a banner year, the PS4 would still have a significant edge. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch sold nearly five million units in its first four months on the market. That number has likely ballooned since, as the Switch is expected to meet 14 million sales by its one-year anniversary in March.

Still, the PS4’s latest numbers just go to show that Sony’s aging console may only get more popular as the years pass.

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Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
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