But sales are finally starting to slow
Sony has released its fiscal year financial report, detailing the sales, revenue, and profit attained by the PlayStation owner for the fiscal year ending March 2020. The most notable statistic concerns the PS4, which has reached a worldwide shipment total of 110.4 million units.
The fourth quarter of 2019 saw customers pick up 1.5 million black boxes, though this is significantly down from the 2.6 million PS4s sold during the same period in 2018. This suggests that the PS4 is finally starting to enter its twilight phase, ahead of its successor, PlayStation 5, which is still on schedule to launch this Holiday season. Also of note, Sony has not released a forecast for the PS4 for the coming fiscal year, which also suggests that the electronics giant expects a further deceleration of the console’s sales.
In regards to software, PlayStation sold 59.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2019, an increase of 4.9 million units from the same period in 2018. The trend toward digital sales continues, with 66% of all full game sales being attributed to digital downloads. Also on the rise are PlayStation Plus subscribers, with 41.5 million players currently signed up for the paid online service.
This time next year, PlayStation 5 will, (all plans permitting), have been on the market for roughly six months. Whether Sony’s next-gen baby will see the same incredible success remains to be seen. Whatever happens, the sales phenomenon that is the PS4 will forever be etched in the annals of video game history.
FY2019 Consolidated Financial Results [Sony Official]
