Sony sold 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles worldwide in the latest quarter, continuing the 7-year-old console’s late surge as Sony and Microsoft prepare to release their next-generation entertainment and gaming machines next month.
Sony reported the number this morning as part of its quarterly earnings release. By comparison, Microsoft sold 1.2 million Xbox 360s for the quarter, and Nintendo sold a combined 560,000 Wii and Wii U consoles.
Sony’s PlayStation franchise (including the PS3 and PS2) has led worldwide sales for the past seven quarters, topping Nintendo and Microsoft since early 2012 in the global console market, according to data compiled by GeekWire from earnings reports. (See chart below.)
Microsoft has been dominant in the U.S. for much of that time period, racking up a string of 32 straight months as the No. 1 console until Sony ended the streak last month.
Sony’s games unit reported an operating loss of $8 million on sales of $1.59 billion for the quarter. Nintendo yesterday reported a quarterly loss of $81 million. Microsoft reported a gross margin of $206 million in its Devices and Consumer Hardware Division, which includes the Xbox.
The PlayStation 4 will be released on Nov. 15, selling for $399. Microsoft’s Xbox One will debut on Nov. 22, selling for $499 with an included Kinect controller.
