PlayStation 4 Sales Reach 5.3 Million

Sony has announced that PlayStation 4 sales have reached 5.3 million since launch in November as of February 8th. 

Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida tweeted: 

PLAYSTATION®4 SALES SURPASS 5.3 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE http://t.co/Y520RXDOb1

— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) February 18, 2014

The milestone has been reached ahead of the console's release in Sony's home territory of Japan on February 22nd. PS4 also sold "nearly double" what the Xbox One managed in January in the United States, Microsoft's traditional stronghold, according to the NPD. 

Sony had previously predicted sales of five million PS4s by the end of the current fiscal year, March 31st. 

Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, said: 

"I am thrilled that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play throughout and beyond the holiday season.

"We are delighted that according to the NPD Group's latest data, PS4 was January's top-selling console in the United States. The PS4 system's momentum just keeps growing stronger, and we are extremely grateful for the continued passion and support of PlayStation fans.

"February 22 sees the launch of PS4 in Japan, and I'm looking forward to Japanese fans sharing the excitement of the deep social capabilities and entertainment experiences only possible on PS4."

As of January 23rd, Microsoft had shipped 3.9 million Xbox One systems to retailers while according to the latest figures available, three million Xbox Ones were sold to consumers by the end of last year. 

Nintendo meanwhile has moved 5.38 million Wii U consoles since launch in November 2012 and recently slashed sales forecasts for the system from nine million for the fiscal year to just 2.8 million. 

Next month sees the release of inFamous: Second Son on PS4 and Titanfall on Xbox One and these key releases will almost certainly impact on sales of the two consoles.