As successful as Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii gaming console was, its impressive sales still pale in comparison to the reigning champion of console gaming, Sony Corp’s PlayStation 2. In a little over 12 years, the PlayStation 2 sold more than 150 million units worldwide, and now there is a chance that Sony could break its own record if the current PlayStation 4 sales trends hold.

Sony’s recent earnings report boasts that the PlayStation 4 console has sold 25.3 million units worldwide since its release less than two years ago, and it sold over 3 million units in the last quarter alone. According to Gamesindustry.biz, it took the PlayStation 2 nearly three years just to break 20 million units sold, something the PlayStation 4 did in little more than a year.

Why has the PlayStation 4 had such phenomenal sales? Well, for one thing more people are buying game consoles these days. According to a 2014 report by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), 59 percent of Americans play video games, which equates to roughly 190 million people. The ESA also determined that over half of all U.S. households own a dedicated game console, and those who do own a console are likely to own two.

One reason that the PlayStation 4 in particular is doing well is its stellar performance overseas. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Jim Ryan recently claimed that the console holds an overwhelming majority of the European market, saying that in some countries, PlayStation 4 accounts for more than 90 percent of the home game console market.

Xbox One maker Microsoft has yet to refute that claim.

Can Sony keep it up?

While PlayStation 4 has enjoyed stunning success over the short 20 months it has been available, there is no guarantee that the system can maintain that pace. It may be winning the console wars now, but there are two upcoming challenges that, while they may not unseat Sony as the current leader, can certainly slow them down.

Microsoft is in the process of rolling out Windows 10, which has a solid cross-platform strategy with the Xbox One. Microsoft’s vision of the future of gaming involves a seamless transition from couch to desk to phone, and the strong focus on Xbox Live support does give their console a unique edge that Sony does not have.

Another challenger may also soon appear in the form of Nintendo’s upcoming “NX” system, which is rumored to be hitting the market sooner rather than later. Nintendo may have hit a misstep in the console wars with the mediocre launch of the Wii U, but the House of Mario still has some of the most rabid fans in the industry, and if it can somehow recapture the broad appeal of the Wii, it could give Sony some serious competition.

photo credit: 2013 E3 – Unfriendly Neighbors B via photopin (license)