Sony says it has sold 7 million PlayStation 4 consoles worldwide since its launch last year and admitted it can't make them fast enough, in a welcome change of fortune for the Japanese consumer electronics giant.

"The response from the global gaming community for PS4 (PlayStation 4) has been overwhelming and we are truly humbled that gamers are selecting PS4 as their next generation console of choice," Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, said in a statement.

Software sales for the console are also strong, with more than 20.5 million copies sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of April 13, it said.

The PS4 is up against Microsoft's Xbox One, and Nintendo's Wii U for dominance of the digital home entertainment market at a time when consoles are under intense pressure to prove their worth in a world of ubiquitous smartphones and tablets for games and videos.

In comparison, Nintendo's Wii U, launched in late 2012, took more than a year to sell 5.86 million units.

Sony's gaming division has emerged as a potential savior for the company, which is struggling to reinvent itself in the digital age, having been left in the dust by nimbler rivals like South Korea's Samsung.

Reports surfaced last month saying that Sony will sell properties at a prestigious Tokyo site where it had its headquarters for six decades, as the once-world beating firm struggles to improve its bottom line.

Sony warned in February that it would book a $1.08 billion loss in the fiscal year to March as well as cut 5,000 jobs and exit the stagnant PC market.