Before announcing its new PlayStation Now streaming service, Sony’s Andrew House took a moment to update watchers on PlayStation 4 sales. At last check in early December, Sony said it had sold 2.1 million units worldwide. Today, House said the number of systems sold-through — that is, purchased by consumers, not just shipped to stores — has doubled, surpassing 4.2 million units worldwide. That’s the company’s tally from system launch on November 15, through December 28.
Sony’s announcement comes on the heels of Microsoft’s, made yesterday, when Redmond marketing honcho Yusuf Mehdi said the Xbox One had sold 3 million units worldwide through the end of 2013. Before you let the million-plus differential bum you out, Xbox One owners, recall that Sony had a week lead over the Xbox One, which didn’t launch until November 22 (though it’s also important to factor territory availability — Sony launched in a fraction as many as Microsoft at the outset). The PS4 is also $100 cheaper, which is surely a significant factor.
Sony also talked up PS4 software sales: 9.7 million worldwide, with a PlayStation Plus subscription service surge of 90 percent since the PS4′s North American launch.
