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PlayStation 4 sales near 100 million milestone as Sony readies for PS5 transition

The PlayStation 4 Pro helped push the PS4 family to massive success in the 2010s.
The PlayStation 4 Pro helped push the PS4 family to massive success in the 2010s.
Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony released its financial results for the fiscal year 2018, revealing that PlayStation 4 sales are now at 96.8 million as of March 31.

The PlayStation 4 launched in November 2013 and has become a big success for Sony. It is now the No. 4 best-selling home console of all time, behind the Wii and its 101.63 million number. It’s also close to surpassing the original PlayStation, which sold 102.49 million machines. PlayStation 2 is at the top, selling more than 155 million consoles.

PS4 is tracking to beat Wii and the original PlayStation, although PS2 may be out of its reach.

Sony sold 17.8 million PlayStation 4s during the latest fiscal year. This is down from the 19 million moved in the previous year. The system is aging, and Sony is getting ready to transition to its next system, which will presumably be called the PlayStation 5. Sony warned share holders that it expects earnings to be lower next year as it invests in the hardware, which it also notes will not be releasing within the next 12 months.

The next year will also have fewer first-party events. The past year included big hits like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man. This new fiscal year started with Days Gone, which launches today and has had a tepid critical reception.

Things are murky for the rest of year. Big exclusives like The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Death Stranding, but they do not have release dates. It’s not sure which ones will be releasing during the fiscal year.