On Eve Of PS4's First Birthday, Sony Releases New Stats

The PlayStation 4 launched on November 15, 2013 meaning the console will celebrate its first birthday tomorrow. Sony marked the occasion today with a note from SCEA president CEO Shawn Layden, and a new infographic (above) that shows some of the impressive PS4 statistics recorded in year one.

Some key takeaways:

• PS4 has shipped 13.5 million systems worldwide (compared to 10 million for Xbox One)
• PS4 users have pressed the share button 530 million times
• PS4 users have tallied 1 billion hours playing online
• In the US, PS4 hardware sales generated more revenue than any other new platform
• PlayStation Network has 56 million "active" users
• PlayStation Plus has 7.9 million members; subscribers are up 270 percent since PS4's launch
• September 2014 was the biggest month ever for PSN in terms of revenue

Layden, who took over the job from Jack Tretton following his departure from the company in March 2014, thanked fans for their support in a post featured on the PlayStation Blog.

"Thanks again for your incredible support over the years and please know that you, the PlayStation Nation, are in our hearts and minds every day reminding us to continue delivering the best gaming experiences possible and always ensure that PlayStation is truly the best place to play," he said.

2014 also marks the 20th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, as the original PlayStation console was released in Japan on December 3, 1994. Layden said Sony will publish a series of blog posts in the lead-up that "take a look back" at the first two decades of PlayStation.

"Those of you who have been with us from the beginning, along with those who are new to PlayStation family, are in for a special treat so please stay tuned," he said.

Another big event for PlayStation this year is next month's two-day PlayStation Experience community event, which will be held December 6-7 in Las Vegas. The show is expected to bring news about upcoming PlayStation games, maybe even Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. GameSpot will be on the ground at the show, bringing you news and analysis.