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Sony Braces For PlayStation 4 Sales To Slow As Install Base Hits 73 Million
In their latest financial report, Sony has revealed that the PlayStation 4 has hit 73 million units sold, but the company is bracing for the system reaching a saturation point soon.
The system sold 19 million units in the last financial year, a remarkable number that is still down slightly from the 20 million of the previous year. Sony expects that declination to continue with only 16 million units next year, which is still a number proportional to some of the fastest selling consoles in the past.
Sony expects that software sales will increase to offset the lower hardware numbers, a claim which makes sense given a higher install base means fewer people to buy consoles but more people to buy software. Software sales weres up around $8.4 billion in its 2017 fiscal year, up around $6.6 billion in 2016 and $5.1 billion the year prior.
Sony did not release targets for software in the next financial year, just that they expect it to go up.
The PlayStation 4 is closing in on the PlayStation 3's life-to-date install base of 83 million units since its launch in 2006.
[Source: Sony]
Our Take
It's likely no system will ever hit PlayStation 2 numbers, but beating PlayStation 3 in around half the time shows growth for Sony's gaming sector. Even if sales declined by a few million every year, the PS4 will still be one of the best selling consoles ever.
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