PlayStation 4 Pro PS4 Hardware Sales 1

It's looking increasingly likely that the PlayStation 4 will hit the 50 million unit milestone by the end of the year, as Sony has released its financial results for the quarter ending 30th September, revealing that it shipped a whopping 3.9 million units during the period, putting the platform's install base at 47.4 million units. The latest numbers represent a decline of 100,000 units year-over-year, but it's perhaps worth keeping in mind that Sony stopped sending out hardware for a brief period as it resupplied the retail chain with the new Slim model. It hasn't changed its forecast, so it's still anticipating a gigantic holiday.

Operating income in the gaming sector did decrease year-over-year, with the manufacturer attributing this to price reductions on PS4 hardware and a continued decline in PlayStation 3 software sales. However, it did note that sales have increased through the PlayStation Network, and that it's managed to bring down the cost of manufacturing its new-gen console – presumably with the launch of the PS4 Slim. This will obviously help its profitability moving into the Christmas period and into 2017 and beyond.

Sony as a whole remains in the black, though exchange rates meant that its sales revenue dropped by 10.8 per cent year-over-year. The company managed an operating income of ‎¥45.7 billion ($435 million) overall, which represents a near 50 per cent decline compared to last year. The firm blamed the deterioration of its semiconductors and components businesses for the decrease. All of its other divisions turned a profit, with PlayStation being one of its more successful ventures.

[source sony.net]