It's no secret that Sony has sold a lot of PlayStation 4 consoles, but the company hopes to continue that trend into 2017.
After a good 2015 and an even better 2016 (so far), Sony forecasts that it will sell another 20 million consoles by April, 2017.
Sony recently released some documents outlining its expectations for the new fiscal year, which began in April, 2016 and runs through March 31, 2017. The company forecasts that sales will increase for its software and hardware by over 8 percent in that time period.
That means more PlayStation 4 consoles will land in even more homes, including the upgraded PlayStation 4, now codenamed the Neo, as well as PlayStation VR, which will launch in October.
Sony's original forecast for the 2015 fiscal year was 17.5 million, but it exceeded that and sold 17.7 million instead. Next year will see even more PS4 units flying off shelves, at 20 million units, which will mean that Sony could end up with a total of 60 million PlayStation 4 users worldwide.
In comparison, Microsoft's Xbox One has only sold about 18 million units since its release in 2013, about half of total PlayStation 4 sales, which is around 40 million. Although Microsoft did not actually confirm that sales number, independent sources confirm that it's about right. There are also rumors suggesting that Microsoft has plans for releasing an upgraded console soon.
Meanwhile, PlayStation 4 exclusive games are also doing well: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End set a record for first party PS4 sales in its first week by moving 2.7 million copies of that game.
"It's hard to believe that it's been nearly two weeks since we officially released Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on PS4," Sony wrote on its blog. "It's one of the most beautifully crafted games I've ever played, and the great reception we've seen from the community has been amazing and humbling. Naughty Dog's exceptionally talented team has created magic once again, carefully constructing an adrenaline-pumping, thrilling, and beautifully written culmination to Nathan Drake's adventures. They truly outdid themselves."
Photo: Joe Raedle | Getty
