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Sony's PlayStation 4 Has Nearly Outsold the PlayStation 3 (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

Sony's PlayStation 3 sales stand at around 80 million -- which means its successor, the current gen PlayStation 4, will soon surpass it. From a report: The Japanese electronics giant sold 9 million PlayStation 4 consoles from October through December, it said on Friday in its latest quarterly earnings report. Sales for the console were at 67.5 million as of Sept. 30 2017, according to Sony's previous quarterly earnings report, bringing the total to 76.5 million. The PlayStation 2 remains Sony's best-selling console, with over 150 million units sold. These figures come days after Nintendo on Wednesday revealed the Switch, released last March, is up to 14.8 million in sales. Sales of Microsoft's Xbox One are estimated by VGChartz to be around 36 million.

50 comments

  1. Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All made in China.

    1. Re:Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My Playstation 2 was made in Japan, and still works great.

    2. Re:Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Must have been one manufactured in the first few batches. I bought my GameCube when it was released in Canada and it was made in Japan. I also bought my Wii on launch day in Canada, but they were already being made in China by that point.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo... by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Although at least the Cell CPU was manufactured at IBM's fab in Fishkill NY.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

      I heard that IBM actually manufactured a few early demo unit PS3's and devkits there as well.

  2. How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by jddj · · Score: 0

    We have a PS3 and a PS4 working side-by-side in our HT setup. The PS3 is rock-solid reliable, does normal things when controlled by the remote. Browses our DLNA server properly.

    The PS4 locks up and won't connect with PS4 remotes. Has to be manually switched on before our Harmony remote can talk to it (gee, thanks Sony!). Calls every single show on the DLNA server the same title - good luck finding your episode. The wife and kids will barely touch it.

    No idea why we have this boat anchor.

    1. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "No idea why we have this boat anchor."

      More often than not, people usually get a game console to play games primarily. Does it at least do that well? :p

      Only problem I have with my ps4 is shared with the ps3 - the online store sucks ass when connecting from the console. Even then the PS4 tends to have less trouble, although it'll run slowly at the home bar after leaving the store - likely because the store is staying resident and eating up most of the ram.

    2. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by PmanAce · · Score: 1

      My PS4 works fine. Maybe it's operator error x 2.

      --
      Tired of my customary (Score:1)
    3. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 2

      Persona 5, Disgaea 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nier, and Dragon Quest (both upcoming RPG and Builders) are why I have a PS4. Been solid for me so far - no issues to speak of.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    4. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never even heard of any of these. /me goes back to PC to continue gaming.

    5. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by slack_justyb · · Score: 1

      I have to agree with this list (except I haven't bought Dragon Quest yet, it's on the list). Also, picked up FF XV and FF XII remake for PS4. Uncharted 4 is awesome and I'm looking forward to Last of Us 2. The Lego games are the favs for the kids. I still have not done the whole PS4 online thing, but the console has been pretty solid without it.

    6. Re: How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by jddj · · Score: 2

      Right, 'cuz I crashed the thing.

      And also, I rewrote Sony's crap DLNA player add-on to make it not show the episode names (something the PS3 and other DLNA clients do fine).

      And I wrote the Sony spec that says that no 3rd party device can turn on the PS4 from Bluetooth.

      Yeah, those must be my fault.

      As far as playing games, I haven't seen anything to date that looked or worked better than the PS3. And it doesn't play our library of PS3 games - at least not natively. I've heard that there's a remote PS3 option for some games, but I saw no game I wanted to use on the list.

      Understand that I'm not against having a new(-ish) Sony gaming console; it's just that my minimum requirement is that it work as well as the old one.

    7. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      No, he's right in that the PS4's DLNA capabilities are inferior to the PS3's.

    8. Re: How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      You forgot to mention that the PS4 has TWO media players.

      One is the standard media player, it is the one that does DLNA, Video and FLAC audio. It has a sucky interface.

      The other is the USB Music Player, which only shows up when a USB drive is plugged in. It has a nicer interface, great for playing music while gaming...but it can't play FLAC.

      Also in some ways the PS4's web browser is worse than the PS3's.

      For example the PS3's web browser CAN upload certain files from and download certain files to the PS3. For example if you were writing a blog post on the PS3.you could actually upload the blog pictures FROM a PS3. Or if you found a link to an MP3, you could actually download it to the PS3's hard drive and play it. You could even buy songs from the Amazon MP3 store!

      You can do none of that with the PS4's web browser.

    9. Re: How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      Sony HATES multiple formats like FLAC/MP3/AAC etc. They do everything they can to make their own. If they cant, they pick only one and run with it. They are still too-often gadget makers and not computer makers. They dont even make PCs anymore, and when they did they were ham-fisted as hell about it. Sony is a gadget company, they dont understand 'empowering the user' in any way. They think of the device first, the user second.

      --
      Good-bye
    10. Re: How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I've always had audio sync problems with ps4 media player i still use ps3 to play movies

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    11. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I've been playing through the Uncharted pack (1-3), and then will tackle Uncharted 4. Fantastic franchise. Also purchased FF X and X-2, and FF XII. I never ended up playing Last of Us (yes, I know how good it's supposed to be), so I'll need to pick that up before I play Last of Us 2.

      Dragon Quest Builders is essentially a direct Minecraft ripoff, but Dragon Quest themed, and with a stronger narrative structure, which is a bit nice if you feel Minecraft to be a bit aimless. I've found it to be a lot of fun, and seems appropriate for kids as well.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    12. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      Never even heard of any of these. /me goes back to PC to continue gaming.

      Nothing wrong with prime rib, but szechuan is delicious as well.

      I'm an equal-opportunity gamer. Also, I'm sort of hungry now.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    13. Re:How odd, 'cuz our PS4 sucks. by sad_ · · Score: 1

      We have a PS3 and a PS4 working side-by-side in our HT setup. The PS3 is rock-solid reliable,

      that must not be the fat model then, which are known to just die, mostly from overheating.
      mine did, replaced it with the newer slim model and, indeed, that one is rock solid.

      --
      On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
  3. Holy crap! Stop the presses! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who gives a shit?! Why is this a frontpage story?

  4. Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I put my penis
    In his rectum
    In the springtime

    1. Re:Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the springtime

      Bro, you're gonna have some massive blueballz.

    2. Re:Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haiku's are generally 5 - 7 - 5. But can also be 3 - 5 - 3.

      You had 5 - 4 - 4

      Five syllables here
      Now seven syllables here
      Do you understand

  5. Like to hear from PS3 & PS4 owners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Been playing "Texas Hold'em" poker a lot? That game has a lot in my extended family addicted --they even go online (and on camera) a lot to play against other folks! Just for giggles and grins, mind you. But which box do you play on?

  6. And yet Sonny is borken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sory seems teh hardest thing. xbone ruleing.

  7. PlayStation 2 by OrangeTide · · Score: 0

    And if Sony would continue to manufacture PS2 I would still buy one, if only to replace my broken one and play the substantial number of PS2 and PS1 games I have in the attic. It was a good system with a great game library.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    1. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. I know why they aren't made any more, but it would be nice to be able to buy new older consoles when ours' break. Preferably the best versions of them, like the original PS2 instead of the PS2 slim, or the second version of PS3, not that top loading third version. Any of the good disk based consoles should get remade from time to time, considering those disks can last forever with care.

      Good older hardware can sell really well. It's crazy what the demand for the NES classic and SNES classic were, and they can only played the games they came with. I'd by a new spare PS2 in a heartbeat.

    2. Re:PlayStation 2 by StormReaver · · Score: 1

      [The PS2] was a good system with a great game library.

      The PS2 was an awesome console with the best game library. My kids do just about everything with the PS3, but recently talked me into reconnecting my old PS2 because the PS3 kept crashing (both of my PS3's have been unstable crashing monsters from the beginning when they were brand new); but I discovered that the DVD drive died. Fortunately, a local used game store had one, so I bought it for about $50.

      After my kids were done it, I played some of my old games. It was at that point that I realized the best console games I have ever played were made for the PS2. Even the sequels of these games that were made for the PS3 were worse than their predecessors on the PS2.

    3. Re:PlayStation 2 by pastafazou · · Score: 1

      Nintendo 64: 93.75MHz CPU, 62.5MHz GPU 100MFLOPS, 4.5MB RDRAM, upgradeable to 8MB Playstation 2: 294MHz CPU, dual 147MHz VPU's, a 32bit FPU and a Graphics Synthesizer, 32MB RDRAM
      So what's inferior about the PS2?

    4. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      https://pcsx2.net/ is a Playstation 2 emulator in case you've been living under a mac.

    5. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the controller X-)

    6. Re:PlayStation 2 by SScorpio · · Score: 1

      Give the PS4 a try if you haven't yet. Over the holiday shopping season they were down to $200 and included a $50 gift card.

      While the PS3 had some fun games, the interface was laggy and felt tacked on. The PS4's feels smooth, and has fun features like the game DVR and remote play.

      The library isn't quite up to the PS2's yet being that's it's been only four years so far. But I've talked with multiple people who feel like the PS4 is the true successor to the PS2.

    7. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if Sony would build some more PS2s I wouldn't be playing in the gray area of emulation.

    8. Re:PlayStation 2 by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      because the PS3 kept crashing (both of my PS3's have been unstable crashing monsters from the beginning when they were brand new

      Call up Sony, probably bad solder on the thing. Causes the graphics chip to go all wacky. Sony will fix them for a fee I had to send mine in a couple of years back

      One note, back up ALL your save data, including any PS2 or PSone save data. While you can back up PS3 SAVEDATA to PS+ or USB storage, you have to use USB storage for PS2 and PSone saves.

      but I discovered that the DVD drive died.

      Call up Sony and see if they still fix PS2's with DRE's. Also 50001 series PS2's are the most reliable. Damn things were built like tanks...and about as heavy with an HDD in them.

    9. Re:PlayStation 2 by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      or the second version of PS3, not that top loading third version.

      Do you mean the slim? You don't want that one either, it has zero backwards compatibility with the PS2.

      The one you want is the CECHA version, that's the Deluxe launch model with both of the PS2's Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer as well as WiFi, a card reader for MemoryStick, SD and CompactFlashcards and 4 USB ports.

      The CECHB launch version has the same compatibility but has only 2 USB ports, no card reader for Compact flash, memory stick and SD cards and NO WiFi! Which means you cannot use Ad-hoc party to tu nnel PSP online games on a CECHB PS3.

      After that the best choice is the CECHE model (Deluxe model with 4 usb ports, card reader) which is the only other model with any PS2 backwards compatibility. In this case the CECHE drops the Emotion Engine and only has a Graphics Synthesizer so the compatibility isn't quite as good.

      CECHA, CECHB and CECHE models come with 60, 20 and 80GB hard drives respectively. You will want to upgrade them if they still have the original drive, the drives are user replaceable and you use standard 2.5" SATA drives including SSD's.

    10. Re:PlayStation 2 by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      You should always backup your data to sneakernet. Cloud is shit, dont rely on it. Its your data, be responsible for it.

      --
      Good-bye
    11. Re:PlayStation 2 by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      Emulation is NOT a grey area in the USA. Its a completely legal activity under copyright law. (for the purposes of interoperability and backup). See also *Sony V Universal*, the 'betamax' case. A backup is a backup is a backup, it doesnt matter where it came from. If you own the cart/disc, you have every legal right to a backup of that ROM.

      --
      Good-bye
    12. Re:PlayStation 2 by tepples · · Score: 1

      The one thing worse about the PlayStation 2 is the latency of the main program storage. A DVD-ROM at 5 MB/s with seek times in the hundreds of milliseconds can't keep up with an SSD at double digit MB/s with seek times in single-digit microseconds.

    13. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Controller, indeed. Compared to controllerS, you were fine with a PS2 if you only played games alone.

    14. Re:PlayStation 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're just now getting a PS4, make sure to get a PS+ subscription ($60 / yr), because it gives you one or two popular old games per month "free."

      (The way I see it I'm only paying: $5 / mo to play a new-to-me popular old game every month. Buying those games "new" would cost me $15 to 20 each, so I get to play 3-4x as many games for my $5 / mo.)

    15. Re:PlayStation 2 by SScorpio · · Score: 1

      Mostly just a single retail game, and several digital-only per month. They say 2 PS4 games a month, but many PS3 or Vita indies are cross-buy so you also get the PS4 version.

      That said I'm not really interested in most of the game, but it's a good way to try out indies I'd otherwise pass up. Rocket League, in particular, was a PS+ game at its launch and got the game into a lot of people hands and helped it gain popularity.

      Microsoft's newer game pass is a better deal. It's $10/month and lets you play the games on your system unlike Playstation Now. The new Microsoft published games will also be placed on the service on launch day. But Microsoft's offerings pale in comparison to Sony's.

    16. Re:PlayStation 2 by pastafazou · · Score: 1

      Playstation controller was way better than Nintendo 64 controller. The grip was more ergonomic, and the buttons had nice round smooth edges so you could slide your finger from one to the other easily, which made combos a hell of a lot easier to execute in fighting games on PS2 vs N64.

  8. PS4 users comparison? by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

    Do you have to install 50 GB of data to play PS4 games? We got an Xbox One S to play 4k movies and the little ones make my gaming time rare, but for the few games I have played so far on there, each needed to download 50-100 GB on the drive before I could play. Consoles sure ain't what they used to be... sure its prettier than when everything ran off disc, but it really is just a slow gaming PC in a box that looks nice under the TV. Also weird, it plays the movies just fine, but the capability to play them was a downloadable app rather than already built-in. I guess they really want you to have to connect it to the internet to make it work.

    1. Re:PS4 users comparison? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Do you have to install 50 GB of data to play PS4 games?"

      50-100GB installs on games don't seem to be the standard on PS4, at least from my personal collection's perspective. FFXV probably has the largest installation, especially given I have it on physical disc.

      I agree that consoles aren't what they use to be. They basically kept the weakest parts of consoles (resolution, hardware) and adopted the worst parts of PC (tossing out the benefits of consoles in the process) ie: required installation, DLC, buggy software, etc.

    2. Re:PS4 users comparison? by SScorpio · · Score: 1

      Every PS4 game does fully copy itself to the console. However, unlike the XBOne, Sony has a patented partial install that puts just the startup files on the HDD, and streams the rest over as you play.

      The way I heard the streaming works is that when loading and a file isn't on the HDD, it will read the file off the disk, and copy the file onto the HDD at the same time. It will also continue the copy when the system is in it's standby mode.

    3. Re:PS4 users comparison? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Do you have to install 50 GB of data to play PS4 games?

      Depends on the game. I think the biggest I've seen is about 60GB, with MMO's being real space hogs. Even though the PS4 now supports playing games from external storage, don't buy a PS4 with less than 2TB of storage.

      If you buy games on Disc, it installs the game to the HDD just like a PC would. (And essentially the PS4 is a FreeBSD PC with games other than Nethack to play) You still need the disc to start it up though, that's to prevent one guy from sharing his disc with all his friends.

      PS4 games support a partial gameplay feature. Games will install the early parts of the game like tutorial and early levels first so you can start playing while the rest installs.

  9. Shovelware on PS2 vs. PC by tepples · · Score: 2

    Queue the [PlayStation 2 game development] companies shitting out endless drivel that were somehow classed as "games"

    Is the PC any different in this respect, other than that PC users can install community-maintained mods to make some of those games actually decent?

  10. Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    PS3 had no games, PS4 had games. It also helped that Microsoft shot themselves in the face with the Xbone launch.

  11. And they said the BSDs were dying. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    FreeBSD reigns supreme in the gaming world.