Big numbers!

Sony will need to stuff the supply channels and ship over 6 million PS4s in order to sell 5 million consoles before the end of the 2013/14 fiscal year. 7 million gap between PS3 and PS4 launches, PS4 has some good launch games exclusive and multi-platform games to coincide with its launch, PS4 priced more attactive than the more expensive and under powered XBox One and  the PS4  is launching at a much cheaper price than the PS4. In order to sell 5 million, 3 million must be sold in its first two months from launch up to mid January and take advantage of the 2 million sold over the 10 week period from mid January to the end of March 2014 is reasonable. 

As that will be Sell-in (sold to retailers) it probably means ~4 million sold to consumers. I think that's probably doable.

Yes, but the PS3 had much better lead in numbers from the PS2 sales, than the PS4 does.   Over 100 million people had PS2's by then, and it was clearly the dominate console, even against all other current gen added up together. I think there is some advantage to having the lead console like that.   PS3 is around 25 million behind and not the average 'go to' game machine the PS2 was.  Not that being the leader has helped Wii in this case, but the Wii was a unique case IMO.

Some of it depends how well the can convince people to buy a different brand the console.  I think they have to be hopping Microsoft stumbles somehow or doesn't show off Kinect and the unique features of the new Xbox One well.

Was infamous ever a system seller? If so then it's entirely possible. Keeping their hype up post Christmas will be the challenge.

 I think Uncharted will be shown at the VMA's, and that alone will create a lot of hype. They will probably also start dripping out new info on TO1886, so Infamous will not be alone. We will probably start seeing more info on Gaikai probably around CES along with Sony's IPTV deals.

PS4 and even XBO look to be in very good positions, as both are going to greatly enhance the livingroom experiance, bringing multitasking and PiP in ways I feel many people have been asking for, for years. I see both keeping great momentum on their shear number of features, and the well thought integration that seems to be inplace with common devices.

If Sony pulls this off this just shows that their brand power is coming back. I was going to say 3.5 million for 2013 but if they have the hardware and don't plan on ever being sold out, then they might be able to pull it off. Whats 1.5 million if you're properly watching the hardware WW?

5 million shipments by March?

I guess this old rumor is debunked.

Remember how PS3 were to sell 5 millions without games?

Even if they make that many available in that time frame (meaning from launch til next March or so), that doesn't mean that they will sell that many units.