The folks at Sony Interactive Entertainment are announcing a big milestone today, and also a gift of sorts to fans. The number is 525.3 million — that’s how many PlayStation systems the company says have now been sold worldwide, and in honor of sales topping 500 million?
Well, nothing apparently says thank you to fans like a gorgeous, translucent blue Limited Edition PS4 Pro.
“With 500 Million PlayStation systems sold, that means countless adventures into the unknown, courageous stands against evil, and life-long memories of playing with family and friends,” writes Eric Lempel, senior vice president of PlayStation Worldwide Marketing for Sony Interactive Entertainment, in a blog post today. “Thank you to all our fans for your passionate support over the past 24 years, which made all of this possible.
“As translucent colors are always a fan-favorite, this is a great opportunity to bring this color to the PlayStation 4 Pro system as a ‘thank you’ to our fans. To celebrate this exceptional milestone, we are announcing today a global release of the 500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro, featuring a translucent dark blue console shell and matching DualShock 4 wireless controller, PlayStation Camera, Vertical Stand and mono headset.”
The limited edition system, he continues, comes with a 2TB hard drive and will retail for $499. The “limited” in the name also refers to the fact there will only be 50,000 units worldwide.
Each system will sport a commemorative copper plate on the front that has a limited edition serial number etched on it. If you do decide to buy one of these, the serial number on your unit might actually mean something. Sony says a few units will have serial numbers commemorating important events in the PlayStation’s history.
The 09995 serial number, for example, will honor the U.S. launch date of the first PlayStation, on Sept. 9, 1995. The serial number 01115 will commemorate the U.S. launch date of the PS4, on Nov. 15, 2013, and the 01013 serial number honors the U.S. launch date of PS VR — Oct. 13, 2016.
You’ll be able to buy the DualShock 4 that goes with the console as a standalone purchase for $64, and a limited edition gold wireless headset featuring the same dark blue translucent design will retail separately for $99. The console itself will be available on retailer websites starting Aug. 24.
“Since its launch back in 2016, our portfolio of PS4 Pro supported content has continued to grow, truly showcasing the power of 4K TV gaming, HDR and more,” Lempel writes. “This year has been packed with even more incredible PS4 Pro enhanced games, like Detroit: Become Human, God of War and Monster Hunter: World. And we couldn’t be more excited for upcoming enhanced games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2.
“In the world of PlayStation, the possibilities of play are endless and we’d like to once again thank you for the tremendous love and support that has made PlayStation the best place to play since 1994. Here’s to 500 million more epic moments and experiences ahead!”
