Sony’s PlayStation 4 will hit a projected 80 million units sold by the year 2019, comfortably outselling Microsoft’s Xbox One by a whopping 40 percent, according to a report compiled by market research consultancy firm Strategy Analytics.

Found in the research firm’s ‘Connected Home Devices Report’, the forecast predicts that, given PS4’s dominance in its first year – a feat it compares to the success of the PS2’s first year – Sony is on course to hit 80 million consoles sold by 2019 compared to that of 57 million Xbox Ones sold by Microsoft.

Speaking about the findings in general, Strategy Analytics senior analyst Eric Smith said: "Despite reports to the contrary, the game console market is not dead. Core gamers have moved faster to this current generation than in any previous generation. The main difference in this generation is that casual gamers who bought a Wii are remaining largely on the side lines as free-to-play casual games and midcore games on tablets and smartphones have captured this segment of consumers."

PS4’s consumer-friendly build and its lower price point compared to its competition has undoubtedly played an integral part in the console’s successful first year, and with a plethora of first-party and indeed third-party exclusive content planned for this calendar year, it’s not too far-fetched to forecast this prediction coming to fruition.

Have you been impressed by PS4’s first year? Both from a sales and games perspective? Let us know in the comments section below.