Sony's PlayStation 4 continues to dominate as the world's most popular gaming console

PlayStation 4 vs PlayStation 4 Pro

Sony's PlayStation 4 has now sold over 70 million units.
The PlayStation 4 is, by far, the most popular console in the world.
Over 7 million PlayStation 4 consoles were sold in the last five months.

Sony's PlayStation 4 continues to dominate Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Switch. As of December 3, the PlayStation 4 reached 70.6 million consoles sold. That puts Sony in the lead by a mile.

More specifically, Sony's PlayStation 4 sales are more than double that of the closest competition — the "closest competition," of course, being Microsoft's Xbox One. Though Microsoft no longer reports sales numbers for its Xbox One console, the best estimates put the Xbox One somewhere in the realm of 30 - 40 million units sold.

In just the last five months, from July 1 to December 3, the company sold over 7 million PlayStation 4 consoles. Doesn't sound like a lot? Even 2017's hottest new console, Nintendo's Switch, sold just 4.7 million units in its first four months. Nintendo estimates it'll sell around 14 million Switch consoles in its first year, while Sony's expecting to move a whopping 18 million PlayStation 4 consoles in the same amount of time.

God of War (2018)

The continued success of the PlayStation 4 is due to several different factors:

The PlayStation 4 was the less expensive console when it launched in 2013, coming in at $100 less than Microsoft's Xbox One.
The PlayStation 4 is an attractive box that easily fits into your home, and using it as more than a game console is a snap.
A lineup of killer blockbuster games, from "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" to "Horizon Zero Dawn" to "Bloodborne," made the PlayStation 4 a must-have console. All three of those games are only playable on PS4.
Success begets success — the PlayStation 4 has overtaken the zeitgeist as "the" game console to own if you're going to buy a game console.

Though Sony's exclusive game lineup isn't full of bangers in the coming months, an impressive array of major exclusives are currently in the works. And if you're looking for a way to enjoy more 4K content on your new 4K TV, the PlayStation 4 Pro offers an upgrade path to even prettier games. All of which is to say one thing: Sony's PlayStation 4 isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 5 hidden features only PlayStation 4 power users know about