Sony is a mixed bag at the moment, divisions like TV and the Xperia smartphones are weighing the company down, while its camera lens division is thriving. However, there is one stellar performer under Sony’s wing that is pushing the company to profit… we are of course talking about the PlayStation 4, a product that is running away with the 8th generation console wars.
During its second quarter earnings call, the Japanese company revealed that it turned $664 million in profit, blitzing analyst expectations in the process. Sony made no attempt to add that smartphone camera lenses and especially the PS4 were responsible for this huge growth. It is worth remembering that Sony has been struggling to make any money for a few years.
Three million PlayStation 4 units were sold through the period April to June, hinting that the console shows no signs of slowing down before entering the boom period of the Holiday’s at the end of the year. To date, the PS4 has now sold a massive 25.3 million units, a very good return for a product that has still not gone through a customary price reduction.
Just like the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2, the PS4 is a bona fide hit and is propelling Sony at the moment. I haven’t forgotten the PS3, but that was more of a slow burner and ended a success the long way around. The PlayStation 4 is getting the business done quickly and even two years into the 8th generation it seems as though the console will be the biggest seller of this era, no matter what Microsoft and Nintendo do from now on.
Presumptuous? Maybe, but rarely does a product take such a big market lead and then let it slip, and while the PS4 is probably not on the scale of the runaway hit that was the Nintendo Wii, it is a different device and is performing extremely well as it ages.
