Sony surges past 70 million PlayStation 3 sales
Catches up with Microsoft's Xbox 360
Sony is commemorating the shipment of 70 million PlayStation 3 consoles this week. Reaching the milestone essentially puts it neck and neck with Microsoft's Xbox 360 in terms of overall global lifetime sales.
The figures relate to the number of consoles shipped to retailers rather to than customers, so we have little idea how many households actually own one of Sony's machines.
Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 had reached the 70 million mark itself during its latest earnings announcement, covering shipments to 30 September 2012. Since the 360 was launched a full year before, it's clear the PS3 has caught up with its rival.
Of course, the Nintendo Wii, which is set to be superseded this month by the Wii U, is fast approaching the 100 million milestone.
Sony recently announced it had shifted five million PS3s in the UK alone. Where's our cupcakes this time, Sony? ®
COMMENTS
But hang on..
Hasn't the Xbox360 been on sale 16 months longer?
Aren't a vast majority of Xbox360 sales replacements for failed units?
Surely this means that the PS3 ACTIVE userbase is substantially higher, and what with the virtually non-existant piracy rate on PS3 (compared to the rampant problems on Xbox and Wii), means that it's the preferred platform for development?
Hmmm
I'm a PS3 owner, but all of my mates are on xbox live. They all bang on about how good it is and how I should join them to see what I'm missing, but the PS3 doubles as a Blu-ray player and also good for streaming TV in the UK and surfing the net (something Microsoft just cottoned on to with Xbox)
I am tempted to get a Xbox slim for Christmas just so I can join them all on Black Ops II, but of all my mates on Xbox I don't know a single one who hasn't had to buy a second console. Only a couple were early enough adopters to get red ring of death, but they managed to get them swapped out then their replacement units developed faults after about 2 years. The most common fault seems to be faulty disc drives and not recognising the hard drive. I'm hoping they've refined the manufacturing process now though and ironed out these bugs for when I get mine
Re: Shame...
Yeah parents have a Wii it was bought second hand in May and is already in the spare room unused in the corner. Meanwhile are household has burnt through one PS3 and on to our second one, its used everyday, games, streaming movies, blu-ray etc. hardly watch any TV any more.
Re: I want a
They reached 70 million quicker than the XBox 360 did.
Re: Shame...
Same here. Wii gathers dust, PS3 is used most nights, either gaming, Blu-Ray, Loveflim or iPlayer...
