Sony's global sales of PlayStation 4 console exceed 5.3 million units

Sony Corp. announced Tuesday that global sales of its PlayStation 4 game consoles exceeded 5.3 million units through Feb. 8, ahead of the console's launch in Japan later this month. Sales of Sony's PlayStation 4, which hit shelves in the United States on Nov. 15 and is also available in parts of Asia, Europe and South America, exceeded the firm's expectations of selling 5 million units by the end of March. The robust sales of its flagship console come at a time when the consumer electronics maker is struggling with a downwardly revised profit forecast owing to dwindling sales of TVs and computers. The firm announced on Feb. 6 it had revised its full year forecast for the year through March to a group net loss of 110 billion yen (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) from a profit of 30 billion yen, owing to sluggish sales of its televisions and personal computers. Sony also confirmed it has reached a deal to sell its flagging Vaio laptop business to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners as part of a huge restructuring initiative that will also see 5, 000 jobs axed. But robust demand for the PlayStation 4 was well-received by Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai, a former head of the company' s games unit, and the current head of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., ahead of its Japanese launch on Feb. 22. "The PS4 system's momentum just keeps growing. I am thrilled that so many customers around the globe have continued to select PS4 as the best place to play," Andrew House, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, said in a statement. Sony's latest console offering has been lauded by gamers for its replaceable 500GB drive for on-demand upgrades and its easy connectivity to other gamers through its PlayStation Network and social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.