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20.12.2023 - 14:53 / polygon.com / Jim Ryan / Eric Lempel
Sony announced Wednesday that it has sold 50 million units of its PlayStation 5 console since the system launched three years ago. That puts the PS5 on pace with the PlayStation 4, which also hit the 50 million sales mark in 2016, just three years after Sony’s last-gen console launched in 2013.
In fact, the PS5 needed just one more week to hit 50 million, compared to the PS4. According to data from the Financial Times, it took the PS5 161 weeks to hit 50 million. The PS4 took 160 weeks.
That’s an impressive feat, considering the major supply constraints that affected PlayStation 5 sales in its early days. For months after the PS5’s launch, PlayStation fans scrambled to secure (or scalp) the high-demand, low-supply system. It wasn’t until 2023 that Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan declared that the global PS5 shortage was over.
“Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” Ryan said at the time. The PlayStation boss also boasted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in January, that December 2022 “was the biggest month ever for PS5 console sales” and that Sony had sold 30 million PS5s by that point.
This year’s sales were seemingly just as good, if not much better. Eric Lempel, senior VP for global marketing, sales and business operations at SIE, told the Financial Times that 2023’s Black Friday sales period was the biggest November for PlayStation sales, in both units and revenues, in PlayStation’s history.
“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,” Ryan said in a news release. Based on a survey of online retailers just days before Christmas, Ryan’s assessment appears accurate. Various stand-alone PS5 consoles and bundles with games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 are in stock at online retailers, including PlayStation’s own direct-sales store.
As of last year, Sony had shipped 117.2 million units of the PS4, making it the fifth-best-selling console of all time. If the PS5 matches the last-gen console’s pace, it could come close to unseating it. But the PS5 would have to sell more than 155 million units to outperform the company’s biggest sales success to date, the PlayStation 2.
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Unsurprisingly, game software and hardware sales saw significant surges in the UK over the course of December, benefiting from the Holiday season and the increased sales it brings every year. As per data released by the GSD (via GamesIndustry), a total of 6.9 million physical and digital software units were sold in the region throughout the month, in addition to just under half a million consoles.
The Pokémon Company has donated ¥50 million (£272K / $346K) to the Japanese Red Cross to aid the rescue and support efforts for those affected by 1st January's devastating earthquake.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
With the year almost behind us, it's hard not to look back at 2023 with conflicted feelings. It was a fantastic year for gamers at home with great tentpole releases from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, and some excellent indies, too. For years to come, we will all likely argue that 2023 was one of the best – if not the best – year for games. But it was also a terrible year for the people who make games, with more than 10,000 developers laid off, studios closed, and more.
Another year is almost over, and as the last days of December wind down, we're taking a look back at what's been a monumental year for the video game, entertainment, and tech industries.
Sales of Sony's PlayStation 5 have crossed 50 million units, the Japanese electronics giant said, pointing to "strong momentum" this year for its flagship gaming console. The PS5 was launched in November 2020, with the world in the grip of the Covid pandemic, and its sales initially suffered because of widespread supply chain problems and a global chip shortage.
It's been a strong year sales-wise for Sony, as the PlayStation 5 has now reportedly sold over 50 million units as it enters its fourth year on the market.
PS5's November 2023 was Sony's biggest November for PlayStation sales to date, Sony Interactive Entertainment's Head of Global Business has said.
PlayStation 5 has surpassed 50 million units sold through to consumers, manufacturer Sony Interactive Entertainment announced.
By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.