Just one day after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced that Xbox One sales had surpassed three million in just five weeks and change, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) announced today at the International Consumer Electronic Show that they had sold a staggering 4.2 million PS4 consoles through December 28th. The total sales numbers for both companies are well above analysts’ expectations and far exceed the initial roll outs of earlier gaming consoles.
Sony statement at CES
“The momentum of the PS4 system keeps getting stronger and we couldn’t be more thrilled gamers worldwide are enjoying the incredibly immersive gaming experiences along with deep social capabilities and entertainment provided by our network,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., speaking at the CES in Las Vegas. “After a remarkable launch, we look forward to bringing even more exciting content and continuing to explore the power of the PS4 system by adding new features and services, including PlayStation Now, in 2014.”
Console wars heat up
Until today, most analysts had been saying the console war between Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) was too close to call, but today’s announcement appears to give Sony an edge. This edge is also likely to grow given the PS4 has not been introduced in its home market of Japan yet. However, it’s definitely still too soon to call it a “win” for Sony, given the strong sales of both consoles and the fact that the devices have been available in different markets for varying amounts of time.
Most analysts agree that the main advantage of the Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) gaming console is the fact that it costs $100 less than the Xbox One. A hundred bucks is a good chunk of money for most gamers, and according to Dave Thier of Forbes, until the Xbox One proves it’s worth the extra cash, the PS4 is likely to continue to outsell its higher-priced competition.
Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) also has an opportunity to build its sales momentum with the upcoming launch of PlayStation Now, a paid subscription service that allows gamers to stream titles on their PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, smartphone and tablet from the cloud.
