The PS4 has become the fastest-selling home console ever, exceeding the early performance of the PlayStation 2, which went on to sell more units than any other console over its 12-year life. 

Andrew House, president and global chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment, said at the weekend that he expected the PS4 to match or outpace the PS2's sales in its first three to five years. 

"We've just seen the most successful Black Friday in the company's history," he said in an interview with the Financial Times. "We are now trying to benchmark against the success of the PlayStation 2 - or exceed it if possible." 

The PS4's performance has been boosted by growth in new markets such as the Middle East and China, after a 14-year ban on sales there was lifted in March. In Europe, meanwhile, Germany has become Sony's largest console market for the first time, as gamers switch from PCs to PlayStations.