Sony: 6.5m PlayStation products sold this Christmas
CES keynote focuses on Vita features, connected services and PS Suite devices
Sony used its CES keynote to reveal that it sold 6.5 million PlayStation devices through the Christmas holiday season, and that Vita sales in Japan have now reached 500,000.
PlayStation 3 accounted for 3.9 million of the holiday figures, and motion controller PlayStation Move for 1.7 million. PSP sales were at 1.6 million.
Hosted by Sony Computer Entertainment chairman Kaz Hirai and Sony president Howard Stringer, the company used the platform to show off its range of connected services
"We have a stake in every part of the entertainment revolution," said Stringer.
As part of that, Sony plans to have 300 million devices connected to the Sony Entertainment Network by 2015, a service that will cover a range of devices with just one login and one virtual wallet. 100 million Sony televisions are already connected to the internet.
"Whether you're playing games, watching movies or TV, or sharing photos or videos, you're really doing one thing - experiencing the content you want to," added Hirai.
As part of this new connected service, Music Unlimited (formerly named Qriocity) will be available on Vita on launch for the UK and US. The US will also get Netflix's media streaming on day one.
Sony is also launching a new video and photo storage and sharing service, Play Memories Online, for its devices in Spring and a range of editing software. Play Memories Home for PC, Play Memories Mobile for Bloggie and Play Memories Studios for PlayStation 3.
Updates to the Sony range of televisions, laptops and Blu-ray players were all touched upon, including a new "slate" designed device, as well as a new Sony Mobile Communications division phone, the HD ready Xperia Ion. The Android device will be released in the US early this year on AT&T, and is PlayStation certified. One the show floor the Xperia S was on show, also PlayStation certified and featured a touchscreen.
It seems both Sony and Microsoft are keen to focus on the present and the virtual, despite growing anticipation of their plans for the next generation.
Despite the presence of Hirai and Stringer, no mention was made of the recently denied rumours that Hirai would be taking the president role in the near future.