It’s finally happened. Over 50 million units of the PS5 console have been sold worldwide by December 9, confirming its spot as a juggernaut in the gaming landscape. The PlayStation 5 was launched on November 12, 2020, and in just 3 years, it has unlocked this new achievement. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has thanked the support of PlayStation fans in a press release.
Compared with its predecessor, PS4 reached 50 million units sold as of December 6, 2016, just over three years after its launch on November 15, 2013.
Also Read | Confidential Sales Numbers for Sony PlayStation Games Leaked
After an initial rough phase with a low supply of the PS5 console (due to the global chip shortage) and scalpers making the most of it, the stock was eventually increased leading to the current milestone.
Sony says, “The PS5 console has experienced strong momentum this year, driven by a slate of highly popular games and SIE’s continued focus on bringing innovation to the gaming experience, including PS5 game streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium members.”
They continue:
“Achieving this PS5 sales milestone is a testament to the unwavering support of the global PlayStation community and their passion for the incredible experiences created by the talented developers from PlayStation Studios and our partners,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “We’re grateful for all of our players who have joined the PS5 journey so far, and we’re thrilled that this is the first holiday season since launch that we have a full supply of PS5 consoles – so anyone who wants to get one can get one.”
In August 2022, Sony announced a price increase of up to 20% in a majority of its markets except the US, stating reasons of global economic, inflationary, and supply chain pressures.
But now, exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 as well as big names like Baldur’s Gate 3 (which was available on PS5 much before Xbox), Alan Wake 2, EA SPORTS FC 24, the PlayStation debut of Roblox have all played a role in this record. Moreover, first-party games like God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us, and previous Spider-Man games are still going strong popularity-wise.
Sales of the PlayStation 5 reached 20 million units by May 31, 2022. By July 2023, sales reached 40 million units and within the same year, Sony achieved 10 million more sales. It was revealed that November 2023 ended up being the biggest November in the history of PlayStation for console sales.
To date, there are more than 2,500 PS5 games that gamers can explore, the PlayStation Portal has launched, the PS5 Slim is on sale, and accessories like Pulse Explore wireless earbuds have been added to the list. In terms of games, more exclusives like Marvel’s Wolverine, and Stellar Blade are coming, and Ghost of Tsushima 2, Horizon 3, and the next GoW game are rumored.
Since PS6 is assumed to be released sometime in 2026, will PS5 sales reach 100 million units? Only time will tell.
