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The PlayStation 4 is the most popular game console in the world (still)

Sony's sold nearly 36 million PlayStation 4 consoles since launch in November 2013. 

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PlayStation 4
That's just 25 months, in case you're wondering. Sony

That makes PlayStation 4 the top-selling game console in the world at the moment, over Microsoft's Xbox One (in second place in terms of sales) and Nintendo's Wii U (a distant third in sales).

A massive chunk of those owners are new owners, as of this past holiday: Sony sold just shy of 6 million PlayStation 4 consoles between November 22, 2015 and January 3, 2016. 

This isn't a new position for Sony's PlayStation 4 — the console has been on top (in terms of sales) since it launched, more or less. There's been the occasional blip, with Xbox One outselling PlayStation 4 here and there, but the PS4 has largely dominated sales (and the attention of millions) since it first launched in November 2013.

How far ahead is Sony compared to the competition? That's hard to tell.

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We know that Nintendo's console, the Wii U, is selling terribly. Compared to Sony's 36 million PlayStation 4 consoles, Nintendo had sold just under 11 million when it last reported numbers back in September 2015. That's about three months ago, and none of the holiday season, but it's still a dramatically lower number, especially since it's been available for a full year longer than the PlayStation 4.

Xbox One sales
"Halo 5: Guardians" star Master Chief shakes hands with a fan. Microsoft

As far as Microsoft goes, the company stopped reporting worldwide sales numbers for the Xbox One many months ago. Instead, Microsoft trumpets its usage numbers — how many hours people spend playing Xbox One games, for instance. The company released end of 2015 statements on Monday, and only gave one solid-ish sales number:

Every title in our exclusive 2015 holiday games line-up — "Halo 5: Guardians," "Rise of the Tomb Raider," "Forza Motorsport 6" and "Gears of War: Ultimate Edition" — sold over 1 million units.

With Sony's PlayStation VR headset launching in the first six months of 2016, and great-looking, highly-anticipated games like "The Last Guardian" launching on the PlayStation 4 this year, it's unlikely that Sony will lose its pole position anytime soon.

Gaming PlayStation 4 PS4
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