Sony managed to sell 50 million PS5 units. This mark was achieved in three years since the fifth generation game console was launched at the end of 2020.
Last July, Sony announced that it had sold 40 million PS5 units. This means that the Japanese technology giant managed to sell 10 million units during the second half of 2023, with the highest sales time in November.
PlayStation 5 sales almost equal the PS4, whose sales also reached 50 million units in three years. PS4 was released in 2013 and sold 50 million units in 2016.
But the PS5 took a week longer than the PS4 to reach sales of 50 million units. According to Financial Times data, PS5 took 161 weeks while PS4 took 160 weeks.
This achievement is quite impressive considering that initial PS5 sales were marred by supply chain problems in the midst of the pandemic, while PS4 sales did not experience similar problems.
The Era Of PS4 Is Over
The supply chain problems that haunt the PS5 will continue until 2022, making it difficult for many gamers to buy the console at normal prices on the market. Finally, in early January 2023, Sony announced that the PS5 shortage was over.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all the players who have joined the PS5 journey so far, and we’re thrilled this is the first holiday season since launch where we’ve had the consoles in full inventory — so anyone who wants to buy can get one,” said the President and Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, as quoted from The Verge, Thursday (21/12/2023).
PS5 sales were also helped by the release of several popular games such as Spider-Man 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Alan Wake 2. Sony recently released a new version of the PS5 with thinner dimensions than the original version.
Sony also managed to win the console war with Microsoft this year. According to Ampere Analysis estimates, Sony managed to sell 22.5 million units throughout 2023 (up 65% from the previous year), while Microsoft sold 7.6 million Xbox Series S/X units, down 15% from 2022.
