Sony

It's no surprise to anyone even slightly plugged into gaming circles that the PlayStation 4 is doing well -- per Sony's own financials, over 22.3 million units have been sold since the console's launch in November 2013.

But what does that break down to in real terms? Across Europe at least, it means the PS4 has over 90 percent market share depending on country, resulting in a near monopoly on console gamers' wallets.


Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Jim Ryan told gaming site VG247 that "we have market leadership in every country in Europe, and have very significant market leadership in continental Europe. Extremely significant. I don’t think market share's any less than 70 percent, and frequently greater than 90 percent in continental Europe."

Part of the reason for Sony's success in the region dates back to its release plans for the PS4. Although rival Xbox One launched a week earlier in Europe, on 22 November 2013, it was only released in the UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, and Spain. Gamers spread across the rest of the continent had to wait until September 2014 to get their hands on it, turning Microsoft's console into more of a bête noire.

Conversely, when Sony rocked up on 29 November 2013, it was on sale in every EU country that day. Having nearly a year's head start in the remaining 22 countries has helped it achieve such dominance and it is hard to imagine anyone catching up during this console generation.

At Sony's E3 conference the company also revealed its line-up for the next year or so, with the likes of Uncharted 4, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and The Last Guardian all featuring.