PlayStation 4 Sales Surpass 7.0 Million Units
Sony says that the PlayStation 4 (PS4) computer entertainment system has cumulatively sold through more than 7.0 million units globally as of April 6, 2014 (JST).
"The response from the global gaming community for PS4 has been overwhelming and we are truly humbled that gamers are selecting PS4 as their next generation console of choice," said Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "The PS4 journey has just begun, and although we are still facing difficulties keeping up with the strong demand worldwide, we remain steadfast in our commitment to meet the needs of our customers, and surpassing the wildest expectations of gamers by delivering new user experiences that inspire and engage. We look forward to unveiling many of these experiences to our fans in the coming months."
The $399 PlayStation 4 went on sale on November 29 in the United States, Western Europe and Latin America, around the same time that rival Microsoft Corp's Xbox One was released.
Sales of Xbox One, which is priced at $499, topped 3 million units at the end of last year. To fire up sales, Microsoft last month began offering a $450 bundle that included the console and the exclusive shooter game "Titanfall" from Electronic Arts Inc.
PS4 software sales also remain strong with more than 20.5 million copies sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of April 13, 2014 (JST). PS4 owners will be able to choose games from a broad portfolio, across all genres, with approximately 120 titles available or coming in 2014. The PS4 system's games portfolio will continue to expand with titles such as Destiny (Activision), The Elder Scrolls Online (Bethesda), Alien: Isolation (SEGA), NBA 2K15 (2K), Watch_Dogs (Ubisoft Entertainment), #DRIVECLUB (SCE WWS), MLB 14: The Show (SCE WWS) and The Order 1886 (SCE WWS).
In addition, Sony says that more than 135 million shares have been captured via the "SHARE" button on the Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK 4). Broadcasting via video streaming platforms Twitch and Ustream continues its growth with more than 4.9 million gameplay broadcasts and nearly 90 million spectate sessions.
PS4 Update 1.70 Coming Soon
Sony will also soon release a major system software update for PS4 that will add some new features. A few of those features from PS4 system software update (v1.70) will be available soon. For instance, the 1.70 update will enable SHAREfactory, Sony's new rich video editor app for PS4 that makes it easy for you to customize your gameplay videos.
With SHAREfactory, you can now combine your captured video clips for editing, personalize them with special effects using filters, transitions, and themes, as well as share them with your friends and social networks. SHAREfactory also allows you to personalize your videos by adding text, stickers, and a set of included audio tracks, as well as video commentary with picture-in-picture capability with PlayStation Camera. It also allows you to import your original music to add to the custom soundtrack for your video.
Once you?re done with your video, you can easily share it to Facebook, or export it to an external USB storage device to upload them elsewhere, another new feature coming as part of the 1.70 system software update. Other PS4 SHARE enhancements include the ability to change the recording time of your gameplay to shorter increments, the ability to change who you share your clips with on the SHARE screen, and the removal of default saves for screenshots and video clips. In addition to these SHARE enhancements, the 1.70 update will allow you switch off HDCP, enabling you to capture video directly from your HDMI output so you can record and share longer clips of your gameplay sessions.
The 1.70 update also makes it faster to play the games you pre-order with an auto pre-download capability, which allows you to pre-download your select pre-ordered game up to several days prior to release. If you have the auto-download feature enabled, it will automatically pre-download your pre-ordered game so you can play as soon as the game is unlocked on release day.
The $399 PlayStation 4 went on sale on November 29 in the United States, Western Europe and Latin America, around the same time that rival Microsoft Corp's Xbox One was released.
Sales of Xbox One, which is priced at $499, topped 3 million units at the end of last year. To fire up sales, Microsoft last month began offering a $450 bundle that included the console and the exclusive shooter game "Titanfall" from Electronic Arts Inc.
PS4 software sales also remain strong with more than 20.5 million copies sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of April 13, 2014 (JST). PS4 owners will be able to choose games from a broad portfolio, across all genres, with approximately 120 titles available or coming in 2014. The PS4 system's games portfolio will continue to expand with titles such as Destiny (Activision), The Elder Scrolls Online (Bethesda), Alien: Isolation (SEGA), NBA 2K15 (2K), Watch_Dogs (Ubisoft Entertainment), #DRIVECLUB (SCE WWS), MLB 14: The Show (SCE WWS) and The Order 1886 (SCE WWS).
In addition, Sony says that more than 135 million shares have been captured via the "SHARE" button on the Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK 4). Broadcasting via video streaming platforms Twitch and Ustream continues its growth with more than 4.9 million gameplay broadcasts and nearly 90 million spectate sessions.
PS4 Update 1.70 Coming Soon
Sony will also soon release a major system software update for PS4 that will add some new features. A few of those features from PS4 system software update (v1.70) will be available soon. For instance, the 1.70 update will enable SHAREfactory, Sony's new rich video editor app for PS4 that makes it easy for you to customize your gameplay videos.
With SHAREfactory, you can now combine your captured video clips for editing, personalize them with special effects using filters, transitions, and themes, as well as share them with your friends and social networks. SHAREfactory also allows you to personalize your videos by adding text, stickers, and a set of included audio tracks, as well as video commentary with picture-in-picture capability with PlayStation Camera. It also allows you to import your original music to add to the custom soundtrack for your video.
Once you?re done with your video, you can easily share it to Facebook, or export it to an external USB storage device to upload them elsewhere, another new feature coming as part of the 1.70 system software update. Other PS4 SHARE enhancements include the ability to change the recording time of your gameplay to shorter increments, the ability to change who you share your clips with on the SHARE screen, and the removal of default saves for screenshots and video clips. In addition to these SHARE enhancements, the 1.70 update will allow you switch off HDCP, enabling you to capture video directly from your HDMI output so you can record and share longer clips of your gameplay sessions.
The 1.70 update also makes it faster to play the games you pre-order with an auto pre-download capability, which allows you to pre-download your select pre-ordered game up to several days prior to release. If you have the auto-download feature enabled, it will automatically pre-download your pre-ordered game so you can play as soon as the game is unlocked on release day.
