In a reversal of the trend in place since the Xbox One and PS4 consoles were released, Microsoft have been the first to announce that they have now sold 3 million consoles. Sony, whose PS4 has up to now sold in faster and higher volumes, have not given any significant sales information since announcing that two million consoles had been sold just before Christmas 2013.

Whilst some have speculated that Microsoft announcing 3 million sales first is an indication that the market for the PS4 has run out of steam, consumer groups provide information suggesting this is unlikely. Retail data and surveys all suggest that the figure of PS4 consoles sold is quite in excess of three million and in all likelihood still higher than the Xbox One sales figures.

Why Sony has not announced the three million sales they have likely made is debatable. It’s possible they have grown tired of tit-for-tat exchanges with Microsoft, or it could be that they are confident of being able to announce either 3.5 or even 4 million sales very soon. With the console being called the PS4, the marketing possibilities around the latter, higher number are as obvious as they are many.

What is clear is that so far there’s no winner or loser in the battle of these new, next generation consoles, with sales of both being healthy. In the long term, Sony are likely to be the biggest seller as they have more games on offer and less restrictive controls in place for both using the games and their online network.

Microsoft, however, offer certain exclusive game titles – Halo and racing game Forza in particular – which have a huge, loyal fan base that in their own would guarantee the Xbox One is a sales success, even if it does not manage to equal or overtake Sony’s offering.