PS4 Enjoys Best Ever Year, Sells Over 20 Million Units

Crazy numbers, I wonder if Sony even saw this coming?

Meanwhile other sites are pointing out that the PS4 had a worse holiday than 2016. Bit of a weird angle considering this was its best ever 12 months...

It may also have been helped by the Pro. People opting to upgrade from a PS4 over the year so it may not be 20m new users. I don't know the Pro's actual figures but if it sold 5m of which 4m were 'upgrades', its possible that the 'new' user growth dropped a bit. Not saying that is the case at all but showing that numbers can be misleading. Sony, like MS now, having 2 distinctly different models can potentially sell double the user base as those with a PS4 buy the Pro.

Its different to PS3 era where the Slim models were not necessarily a reason to upgrade - same performance etc and maybe only bought if, like me, your OG PS3 suffered from YLOD. Despite having a 'perfect' working OG PS4, I bought a Pro so account for 2 of those console sales.

Whatever the reason, Sony certainly had a great year with its gaming sector.

2018 will be better with god of war, spiderman, and red dead 2

@ShogunRok maybe in terms of game releases over the holidays...

Thats only 19,999,977 more x1x needs to sell in Japan this year to catch up. Easy.

@Kidfried A lot of the RROD consoles were replaced by Microsoft at a lot of expense to them - not 'sold'. I don't know if these counted towards the 360 sales or not.

Point I was making though is that the annual sales may well have seen an increase in 2017 because of the Pro - people buying because its an upgrade more than a 'need' to replace. This essentially could be a fundamental reason why the numbers increased more than 2016 which would have been predominantly 'new' users as the OG PS4 isn't inclined to break and need replacing.

@ShogunRok I hate to be THAT GUY but while other sites were trumpeting the Switch selling 10 million PS4 did double that but got less coverage. Its a funny world we live in.

@3Above Nah, it's cool to be that guy. My take on it is that the comparative gains for PS4 aren't as impressive. It did 17.5 million last year, 20 million isn't a huge increase, and Sony is already the market leader. Great sales are expected, it's not really news after years of prolonged success.

Nintendo pulling out 10 million in sales is about triple what the Wii-U did the year before, and threatens the Wii-U's lifetime sales within the first year (or shortly after). It's a flashier headline and it's big (and successful) news for Mario and company after years of prolonged failure.

@NoxAeturnus nah. I doubt that's the reason.
Sites had article after article about ps3 not doing great and when ps4 did well, they acted as if it were expected, so no biggie.

And considering how many perfect scores they throw around to every big Ninty exclusive, I think there's more to it.

@naruball i agree. Certain media outlets are forcing the Switch to be more relevant than it is. Apparently no one cares what Xbox sales are as i havent read any mention of it in months. I just dont see why EVERYONE feels the need to mention how well Nintendo is doing regardless of if its relevant to the article they're writing.

And we all know that if PS4 or Xbox One required the convoluted set up for voice chat that the Switch does it would be a headline every week. But somehow that has died down.

@naruball PS3 floundered out of the gate, but by the time PS4 arrived it had done quite well for itself. PS3 to PS4 is not even a comparison with Wii-U to Switch. PS3 struggled out of the gate, then Sony righted the ship. Wii-U was dead in the water for at least three years (longer really). Its lifetime sales are well below 20 million. Outlets were running article after article about how Nintendo should get out of the hardware business... then Switch. Even with hiccups Sony has been wildly successful since PS2, there’s a strong expectation of success there. On the other hand, Nintendo’s success has a comeback kid feel to it, a rise-of-the-underdog narrative. Of course people are excited. People love that kind of story.

@3Above Again, expectations. When has Nintendo ever delivered solid online or voice chat? Never. Criticism is certainly warranted, but it’s not a critical feature for Nintendo because it never has been. If Sony or MS screwed up that badly it would be big news because they’d be backpedaling from how great their current setups are, and a large majority of their users use that feature daily because it’s been a critical feature on those systems for years. I get what you’re saying, that Switch is being mentioned a lot, and in places where it’s not really relevant to the news being given, but isn’t that what we’re doing right now too?

@NoxAeturnus yes it is what we're doing right now which is why i didnt want to be "That guy". But its a trend that needs to be discussed. I understand your point regarding the Voice chat situation. I just feel that its unacceptable in 2017/2018. It would be like buying a laptop that didnt have wifi but being ok with it becaue that brand never had wifi in the past. Its a standard now and therefore ALL consoles should be up to that standard.

@NoxAeturnus I have to agree with 3above. He brings out a valid point. Let's say a company that makes shoes, like NIKE, were to release their 2019 line of sneakers without laces or soles. (You had to buy them separate.) How would people react? We aren't asking Nike for voice chat between games or wi-fi enabled shoes because that isn't there line of business. We expect all shoes designers to include and supply what is common for shoes or we won't buy them. Just like other companies do in the clothing industry. NIKE isnt going to be exempt in the public eye. Nintendo doesn't make shoes, they make video game hardware & develop games for that hardware. The standards apply to everyone in the line of business, online gaming, voice chat with friends, and invitational multiplayer. To say they are not required to provide these but still charge the consumer is the same as praising NIKE for making you pay extra for laces. That don't make sense.

@3Above Totally agree that Nintendo is not above criticism. I just think a lack of decent voice chat isn't as important as you're making it out to be. Nowhere near the level of wi-fi. Based on the sales it obviously isn't a dealbreaker for people. No amount of parity of system features or software will tear the hardcore away from PS4. Sony owns that market right now. What Nintendo is doing is using their unique selling point to carve out their own niche that is portable and local-multiplayer focused. They're banking on that physical social experience (it's in all of their marketing materials), which is core to the system's ideology and design. That means I generally don't need a headset on my Switch because when I play with friends we're in the same room. Having non-competing interests means there's a solid reason to own both a PS4 and Switch, because they both offer unique experiences. On the flipside, the Xbox is offering largely the same experience as the PS4, with far less of the great software, which is why it continues to flounder. It has no identity.

Using your laptop analogy, it would be like if a laptop company created a laptop without wi-fi then marketed it to writers as a distraction free machine. Or if they marketed the same machine to companies with high security concerns that only need machines that work locally because active wi-fi would be a security risk. It's a niche.

@Biotechzilla I'm wearing shoes that do not have laces right now. That's what slip-ons are. There can exist products in the same space that do not all have the same features. I don't think voice chat is as integral a feature to a console as a sole is to a shoe. I agree that we expect video game developers to create hardware and software. Nintendo is doing exactly that. The core message of Switch is not online functionality. If that's an important feature for you, the system is clearly lacking, and I get that. They're not above criticism. If they had that feature more people would be happy. But to say they need it or else? I think that's an overreaction. The sales speak for themselves. Even lacking these features that are standard on other consoles, plenty of people are willing to buy into the hardware and are enjoying the software.

@NoxAeturnus i was suggesting laced sneakers with laces being sold without them. (Commonly included) ok, slip-ons without the top strap. You choose. Or what about the most recent back lash about the headphone jack on the iPhone?

@NoxAeturnus who would by a laptop with no network capabilities in 2018??!! Almost every writing program or app requires online updates and such. A writer in 2018 uses the internet to the full.

Make a list of points to show how "Unique" Nintendo's marketing of the Switch really is.

@Biotechzilla My point is, where's the "or else?" Lacking this feature, what will happen? Or else what? It won't sell? It's already selling. What you mean is, they must include this feature or "I won't buy it." The nice thing is, you don't have to. There's a lovely piece of hardware in the market that already meets your needs. It's called a PS4, and it's brilliant, and it has well implemented online features and voice chat. (Also, I gave two decent examples of who might buy a laptop with no network capabilities.)

@NoxAeturnus Nobody will buy a laptop with no Wi-Fi. If HP decided to start stripping the network adaptors off their line of 2019 student, family, or other laptops, nobody will have feels for the company and say they are the underdogs of the computer electronics buisness when they only sell hundreds of thousands compared to Apple's millions.

@NoxAeturnus I might agree with you if the Vita hadnt already shown us that you can do voice chat and online multiplayer on a handheld without any extra purchase or equipment back in 2012. The fact is the Switch marketing focuses on local multiplayer because it has no other choice. If the system was up to scratch they would advertising " play with your friends across the globe anywhere!". I dont believe they should be given a pass.

@3Above 100% agree that they're spinning their marketing that way because they don't have a choice. I don't think it's giving them a pass to recognize the brilliance of that strategy. It's clearly working for now. What'll be interesting to see is if they're using it to buy time until they can develop the infrastructure for a real online (including voice chat), or if they decide it isn't important to the system's core design and never address the issue. Either way I think it'll be a success. It's already proven it's a success without decent online. One thing's for sure, Sony squandered the opportunity they had with the Vita.

@Biotechzilla This computer analogy is getting far off track. You're having difficulty recognizing that a niche market might exist for a product you personally aren't interested in, or that the lack of a feature you personally think is important might not matter to users in a niche market. I don't know what you want from me. I'm not trying to sell you a Switch. The discussion was about why there's so much coverage of the console, I offered reasons why that might be the case (feels like an underdog resurging after years of disappointment, offers a unique experience). The conversation turned to a lacking feature on Switch, and again I offered reasons why the system might be selling despite the lack (focus on local, aiming at niche market not mainstream gamer). If you don't like those reasons, that's not my problem.

I enjoy both PS4 and Switch for what they are. I can't play my PS4 while I'm waiting in the Dr's office, or for my car to be fixed. I don't play online with friends on Switch. My PS4 is limited to one screen and the number of controllers I have at a party, but I love its single player games and online when I'm home alone. My Switch is limited only by the number of my friends who bring theirs over when they visit; we've had some hilarious fun at family and friends get togethers, but the graphics just don't compare to my PS4. Never have I felt the lack of voicechat on the system was holding me back from enjoying it. They're different markets. They play differently. They fulfill different needs. I have need of both and I'm happy they can coexist.

@NoxAeturnus Its interesting regarding the vita because Sony actually did support it with first party software and 3rd party apps like skype for almost 2yrs. Butvthe public didnt respond to it. Look at he Switch as an example: its has obvious disadvantages and flaws compared to the competition but it still selling well in its first year. But the Vita didnt because... why again? Im not really sure. In retrospect ppl will say ot wasnt supported or it was the memory cards but really excuses are made for the Switch for its issues but not for others.

@NoxAeturnus But yes the original discussion was on why the Switch gets as much coverage as it does and i feel that this "underdog narrative" isnt the full reason. There appears to be a double standard when it comes to Nintendo as whole and the controversy that brings also brings page views and long comment threads like this one. Basically "The Console Wars" are profitable.

@3Above It's an interesting comparison between Vita and Switch, and I think the total cost of the Vita shouldn't be taken too lightly. Switch has cross-play built in at $350, while Vita required you to buy an expensive handheld and an expensive console to get best use of the feature. The proprietary memory was a lot more expensive as well. The Vita was Switch before Switch, but the total cost of making that a reality was way higher than what Nintendo is offering. But you're right, we digress. The console wars are profitable. I'm not sure there's a double standard for Nintendo. There were certainly plenty of Nintendoom articles throughout the last years of the Wii, and the criticism of the Wii-U started when it was announced, never ended, and that system certainly wasn't purchased by buyers simply for having the Nintendo brand slapped on it. It's harder to criticize success. Switch is feature-lite for sure, but it's SELLING. It's not that the criticisms of it don't matter, it's that they don't matter yet. They could certainly matter for sustained momentum, which is where Nintendo has always struggled with their consoles. But again, I think that these missing features aren't as important as they seem. If Switch sales go off a cliff, I won't be looking back and saying "If only it had voice chat!" It'll likely be because there wasn't enough software. The Wii had massive software droughts towards the end, the Wii-U couldn't rub two months together with a decent release schedule. Right now Switch is killing it because it's got the games, and gamers are willing to overlook things if the games keep coming. It's the same with cross-play on PS4, Sony keeps avoiding talking about it, "but look at all the games coming to PS4! GoW, Death Stranding, etc..." Just keep the games coming. It's a winning situation for everyone no matter what system or systems they play on if the games keep coming, and right now Sony and Nintendo are both pumping out hits.