
As part of its financial results for the fiscal year ending 31st March 2020, Sony has provided another sales update for its PlayStation 4 console. The platform has now sold through 110.4 million units in total, up from the 106 million it reported earlier this year at CES 2020. Joining those stats is the number of PlayStation Plus subscribers, which has increased to 41.5 million. That's an increase of nearly five million when compared to this time last year.
Services such as PS Plus, PlayStation Now, and the PlayStation Store in general have become gigantic cash cows for Sony over the course of the generation, generating huge revenue that could see them sell the PlayStation 5 at a loss and make the money back when a user connects online. What supports that is the ratio of digital game sales compared to physical increasing to 51%. During the current coronavirus pandemic, that statistic rose to a whopping 66% between the months of January and March 2020.
The number of PS4 consoles Sony sells is projected to keep dropping as the current generation wraps up, with the PlayStation 5 taking over at the end of this year. Still, the PS4 can consider itself the fourth best selling platform of all time. It's probably never going to reach the PlayStation 2's record of 155 million units sold, however.
[source sony.net, via twitter.com]
Comments 32
Well, at least 41 million people will be learning farming techniques this month. Could be good for future proofing the food supply.
@Kienda Oh good shout, I almost forgot to give that a try.
I still see people trying to buy a PS2 so that they can play classics from PS1 and PS2 era, so this doesn’t surprise me in the least that PS2 remains best selling console of all time. An “arcade” I saw in an East African town once consisted of a few TVs, PS2s, some sports games and fighting games.
@Severian that's some good arcade fun.
I think we need some kind of technological breakthrough or must have tech, like the DVD player element to meet PS2 sales in the future but yes, the PS4 has done gangbusters and I really wouldnt have predicted that at the start of the generation.
Console gaming is clearly in good shape and I think that if backwards compat exists for PS4 digital and physical libraries, there will be a significant people that will see this as an upgrade rather than switch boats.
41.5 million PP subscribers, that number is quite mind boggling. The cash is just coming in constantly. Still don't feel Sony needs to undercut Michaelsoft or feel threatened by them when it comes to the price of the console.
The best console won this Gen Now SONY please don't mess up next Gen :-/
"What supports that is the ratio of digital game sales compared to physical increasing to 51%. During the current coronavirus pandemic, that statistic rose to a whopping 66% between the months of January and March 2020."
As long as that statistic reverts when the pandemic ends, that will make me feel better, but it is very disheartening seeing all the companies saying that digital sales are getting stronger in comparison to physical sales. I think I explained in the forums that I only really buy digital if it is cheap, and it is a game that I might be interested in, but I am unsure about. I still buy physical for anything that I care about, so whilst I may be overreacting, anything that signals the end of physical media horrifies me. Also not a big fan of subscriptions (don't have psplus, netflix, any of those things), but power to Sony for doing well with Ps Plus.
That's a lot of ps4, can't wait for the ps5 😃
And they only need to sell around another 420,000 consoles per day to beat the PS2 numbers in time for the PS5 launch to again become the best selling console ever!
...WHAT!? I never said it would actually happen, I'm just fantasizing dammit!
@GADG3Tx87 the reason the ps2 sold so much is it kept selling long after the ps3 came out. The sales didn’t all happen before he release of the next generation as you’re trying to say. The same could happen with the PS4 this gen but I doubt it.
@MarcG420
I'm aware of that and I never said it did. I just said "in time for".
@GADG3Tx87 The PS4 is easily on course for being the best selling console of all time. In fact, I'd go so far to say that's it's almost an absolute certainty.
420k units is peanuts, especially since there will be a lot more synergy between PS4 and PS5 this generation as the console cross platform status is going to continue, so this will (if anything) continue to keep PS4 sales relatively healthy alongside PS5 release sales.
My subscription runs out in few days I won't buy another one.. I will wait for a better plus
Historically I've always been an early adopter, but I have zero plans on moving on from this gen yet. Apart from a couple of guys that suffer from heavy FOMO, I don't know anyone personally who is looking forward to the next gen.
I would have been very happy to see this gen continue, and see these consoles break sales records.
@PretendWorking what records?
@PretendWorking So you claim that dualsense broke records, then share a link showing that it didn't.
What makes a new gen needed right now?. Video game revenue has been strong, graphics are great, hardware's good. I mean, this feels very much like the 30 vs 60fps discussion I just had. Some claimed that next gen would be "60fps only" I dispute it, and they tried very hard to claim otherwise, even after we get a game that's going to be "at least 30fps". How this turns out won't be known until later.
And just so you are aware. Re-read my first post. I never said "nobody wants a new gen". I said I didn't, nor did anyone I knew personally.
@Grindagger They still have 48mil to go. The PS2 sold 158m. The way the Switch is selling it is entirely possible that it ends up besting the PS4 sales numbers.
@Severian Seeing as production of PS2 consoles stopped years ago and they were most likely second hand consoles, those sales won't count towards the sales figures of the console. Just like the PS2, PS4 could still sell quite well after the next gen machines are out.
@captainsandman Yeah, that's true. It's hard to say because we're just before next gen. Could pull away a bit from the switch sales, dependent on how well they're received. I still think PS4 will continue to sell well, so long as cross platform releases are supported. If that is discontinued, could put a spanner in the works.
Going to be an interesting year from here to see how things start panning out and into 2021.
@JohnnyShoulder Oh, I'm perfectly aware of it, the point I was making was that the PS2 still has long-lasting appeal and some people still want one up to now, though I suspect a lot of those are people who need replacement consoles.
@PretendWorking I do still play the PS3. I just completed the Bioshock trilogy on it. Played it on xbox first time around since it the first was exclusive to xbox on launch. Was thinking of doing the Mass Effect Trilogy of PS3 next since I played that on xbox for the same reasons.
You don't need to change my opinion, nor are you likely to since I've already given it a lot of thought. But that doesn't mean your reasons aren't worth hearing, what are your reasons?
@captainsandman I can see that happening too. Most Switch owners I talk with seem to be walking advertisements because they play it everywhere. People I never knew to be gamers surprised me when I saw them playing Switch in public, and then of course we traded both Switch friend codes and added each other on PSN, because of course, they have good taste.
Actually, aside from one person who has an Xbox, most Switch players I know all have a PS4 or PS4 Pro.
@Richnj look at the first link posted... their logo reveal was the most liked picture ever. Hence the broken record he mentioned.
This is one of those face palm moments when if the person would’ve just looked at the information provided it would have saved that person from looking like a tool.
@MarcG420 No, I saw it. But he said that the dualsense broke records. Not that the logo broke records.
You may think it's padantic, but in a world where people make all sorts of unbacked claims, and then those claims get repeated until they are considered truth, I find particularly grinding to see incorrect info being spread.
And just so I can address it. Name calling in an argument isn't a good look.
@Richnj to be fair I said making them look like a tool, not that you were a tool 😉.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have lumped them together, but the point still stands.
Edit: also the first and second place pictures would count if you want to be picky.
@captainsandman thats very unlikely. With the new generation coming out it will put all the switch’s shortcomings on full display and that will not help their sales.
@MS7000 I agree, I like having physical discs and only really buy digital when a game is going very cheap. Have ps plus, to play with friends, but if multiplayer was free again, I'd give up my subscription, as I don't ever really play the 'free' games, good as they can be.
After seeing that classic looking ps4 controller, I'm kinda keen to bring the old skool vibes back for ps5. Miss that ps1 start up sound, haha.
@PretendWorking Yeah, I doubt Nintendo's generations will be as long as PS4 or Xbox. Tech changes a lot faster in handhelds and I am sure they will release a new one in a two years.
R.I.P. Xbox One and One X.
@MarcG420 I wonder - I reckon shortage of supply of ps5, and people looking drawn in by the hype but taking advantage of PS4 inevitable price cut might just make that happen. I haven't seen the sales over time compared to the PS2, for comparison, but PS3 was expensive and short on initial games. Ps5 might be the same, especially with the current world situation. Just thoughts.
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