Sony’s PlayStation 4 has consistently topped the console sales charts, outperforming the Xbox One and often even staying ahead of the Nintendo Switch in recent months, but the company’s success with the PlayStation brand actually goes back much further. To date, Sony has sold well over 500 million PlayStation consoles.
Sony announced the news on August 9, revealing that, to date, the PlayStation family of systems has sold through slightly more than 525 million consoles to consumers. Of that number, more than 80 million are the PlayStation 4. The device is quickly approaching the total sales figures of the PlayStation 3, though it will likely be years — if ever — before it surpasses the PlayStation 2’s ridiculous numbers.
The total number also includes the original PlayStation, PS One, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, and the short-lived PlayStation TV, which allowed users to play certain Vita games on their television.
To celebrate the milestone, Sony is releasing the PlayStation 4 Pro “500 Million Limited Edition,” a special console with a translucent blue design with bronze-colored detailing. The bundle also includes a similarly colored controller, PlayStation Camera, vertical stand, and mono headset. It will retail for $500 beginning on August 24, and only 50,000 of them will be available. If you just want to purchase the special controller, that will be available on the same day for $64, as will a special Gold Wireless Headset for $100.
The ongoing success of the PlayStation brand can primarily be attributed to one thing: games. Since the original console launched in 1994, Sony has continued to release a high number of fantastic exclusive games, including Bloodborne, the God of War series, the Killzone series, the Ratchet & Clank series, and the Uncharted series. They’re routinely among the highest-rated games of the year, and with fewer third-party companies focusing on single-player experiences, Sony and its partners are ever more important.
This generation, the PlayStation 4’s $400 initial price point undoubtedly help Sony establish an early lead over the Xbox One, which was initially offered for $500 with a Kinect camera bundled in. We doubt Microsoft will make that mistake next generation, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in a few years’ time.
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