Sony mentioned on Tuesday that it has sold more than 60 million PlayStation 4 games consoles since it first launched over three years ago
The numbers increased by 7 million units from the 53.4 million recorded on January 5, when Sony publicly revealed its sales numbers. Moreover, Sony mentioned that software sales hit 487.8 million copies.
Even though hardware sales are crucial at all times, recurring revenues through subscription models has become tremendously important for Sony in order to take advantage of its large install base. The company mentioned that it had over 70 million monthly active users worldwide at the end of March, while PlayStation Plus recorded 26.4 million paid subscribers.
PS Plus is a $59.99/year subscription service that allows users to play games online with other users, while also accessing a library of free games.
In addition to the subscription models, Sony has also jumped into the virtual reality area last year, when it launched the PlayStation VR headset and games. Even though there hasn’t been a word of the latest sales of the device yet, Sony mentioned that the figure was over 1 million units.
The Japanese company also said that it will continue to focus on VR, as well as on other areas.
“We are committed to further expanding our overall PS4 ecosystem, by broadening the PlayStation VR content portfolio, as well as enriching our network services along with our ground-breaking software lineup,” Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, mentioned
Through the release of revamped hardware, Sony has sought to maintain momentum in the gaming division. Last year, it launched a slimmer version of the PS4 and revealed the PS4 Pro.
The company’s sales records came out just two days after its rival Microsoft unveiled its latest console – the Xbox One X. Its current console, Xbox One, has struggled to keep up with the PS4 and is estimated to have sold 33 million units.
Xbox One X is an attempt to fight back against Sony. However, the $499 price tag has worried analysts.
“The Xbox One X bests the technical specifications for the PlayStation Pro … but at $499, it’ll cost $100 more than the PlayStation Pro which we expect will have stronger exclusive titles over the next year.”
