PlayStation 4

Sony's big Tokyo Game Show 2013 keynote may have been blander than a microwave meal, but it did offer one worthwhile snippet regarding the firm's sales targets for its next generation machine. Taking to the stage - and chatting in fluent Japanese - group president Andrew House confirmed that the platform holder intends to shift five million PlayStation 4 consoles globally by 31st March 2014. Translation issues originally made it sound like the organisation was hoping to hit the lofty figure before the end of 2013, but likeable Worldwide Studios executive Shuhei Yoshida clarified that the organisation was referring to its fiscal year.

Yesterday - during another press conference - the company confirmed that its next generation system will release in Asia this December. It'll be preceded by a North American launch on 15th November and European debut on 29th November. Japan will be able to purchase the console from 22nd February, where all early adopters will receive a free copy of Knack by way of an apology for the delay.

Five million consoles is a huge figure considering the timeframe specified, but we reckon that the firm can hit it. Demand for the PS4 is sky-high right now, so all that the company needs to do is ensure that its production pipeline is in order.