PlayStation 4 Sells Over A Million Units In 24 Hours

Last week, the PlayStation 4 hit the US and within 24 hours, over 1 million units had been sold, making it the most successful console launch in history. Or so goes the news headline. But is it really the best? This is where, I do my best Cumberbatch impression and start sleuthing for clues, as they float before my very, very clever eyes.

First, let’s compare the PS4 launch with PlayStation launches of yester year. Back in 2000, PS2 managed to sell 500,000 units on its first day, setting the record at that time and it still remains the best-selling console of all time, which is no mean feat. In contrast, the PS3 had a bit of a sticky start and didn’t even reach the 1 million units mark in its first quarter of trading. So PS4 is definitely the most successful day one launch Sony’s ever had.

But how does the PS4 launch compare to Xbox? I hear you cry. Well, take a gander at these figures and I’ll tell you. Xbox 360 managed to shift 326,000 units in its first two weeks, in the US, hitting a healthy 1.5 million consoles in its first month. Looking back to 2001, the original Xbox sold 550,000 in its first week, just beating Nintendo’s GameCube, but neither managed to catch up with the runaway success of the PS2.

However, sometimes the figures don’t tell the whole story. If we look at the Sega Dreamcast, it shifted 372,000 units in its first four days, which makes it a much more successful start than the Xbox 360 had, a generation later. Whilst the Xbox 360 was and still is, a very successful machine, more than matching Sony’s might, Sega’s Dreamcast went the way of the dodo.

If we step outside the world of gaming for a moment and consider the A-word. Last year, Apples iPhone 5 sold over 5 million units in its opening weekend, which blows any console out of the water. Consider then, the September 2013 launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c, which saw sales soar to 9 million in three days. Of course, the iPhone is a much more mainstream brand, but it’s still an aspiration, lifestyle product and you can’t deny that those numbers are pretty humbling.

The Xbox One is just hours from launching. In fact, Australian gamers have already got their hands on Microsoft’s new console, so the saleometer is ticking. Of course, PS4s million were sold in North America alone. Whilst this makes the figure all the more impressive, it also gives Xbox One room to outshine Sony. Who knows how big the launch figure could have been, if Sony had opted for a worldwide launch. Xbox One is releasing across 13 countries, so expect the day one sales to dwarf the PS4 figure.

I’m assuming Sony didn’t want to risk press coverage of empty shelves and disgruntled gamers, if they didn’t meet demand. Manufacturing vast quantities is always a concern and they chose to play it safe. It’s probably a good job, considering the negative headlines, concerning technical issues and the lacklustre launch line-up. But we all know mediocre games and technical glitches are all part of the next gen console show. Even PlayStation One had an internal hiccup at launch, but it’s now a distant memory and didn’t mar its entry into the games market.

One thing Sony’s positive sales figures show us is there is a hunger for the next gen and the industry is going from strength to strength. Whether it’s an indication of which console is set for success is still up for debate. Launch figures don’t always tell the whole story. After a seven-year console generation, you can bet Sony and Microsoft are in this for the long haul. This is a marathon, rather than a sprint, so take a seat and watch the show begin.

Who knows, maybe these record breaking launches will mean one less article predicting the death of console gaming, but probably not.