Sony has time and time again said that it’s having trouble keeping the PS4 on store shelves. It’s been that way since launch and the demand for the new console hasn’t died down since. It’s only been six months since the launch of the console and Sony has already hit another huge milestone.
On Wednesday, Sony announced that it has now sold 7 million PS4s globally. It was only last month that the PS4 had hit the six million sales threshold thanks to the launch in Japan. Sony also announced that it has sold through 20.5 million software units in stores and digitally since launch.
“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.”
Speaking of experiences, Sony unveiled the features coming in system update 1.70. The focus is on sharing with the latest update as Sony introduces new software called SHAREFactory. In short, the software is a simple video editor that allows gamers to edit the video captured via the Share button. The edited video can then be exported to Facebook or an external USB device for sharing on YouTube and other video platforms. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when Sony will be getting a native YouTube app on the PS4.
As for other features, update 1.70 also lets gamers turn off HDCP. HDCP was a security standard on the PS3 that prevented users from recording gameplay footage through the HDMI out. Sony never turned it off on the PS3 due to that console having a component out. With no such video out on the PS4, Sony had to offer an HDCP off option for those who want to record longer Let’s Play videos of PS4 through the HDMI out.
Finally, Sony says that it’s introducing a pre-loading service for those who digitally pre-order upcoming games on the PSN. After the update, users will be able to download the game before it comes out so that they can start playing the game as soon as it’s released. Microsoft has already dabbled with this idea on the Xbox One with Titanfall, but it sounds like every game on the PS4 will support this feature after the update.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
