PlayStation 5 Surpasses 50 Million Units Sold, Outselling Xbox Series by 3-to-1
Sony’s PlayStation 5 has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing the 50 million units sold mark since its launch in November 2020. The latest sales figures position the PS5 among the top 15 best-selling video game consoles of all time, with Sony Interactive Entertainment expressing confidence in its potential to eventually outpace its predecessor, the PlayStation 4.
Eric Lempel, Senior Vice President for Global Marketing, Sales, and Business Operations at Sony Interactive Entertainment, shared insights with the Financial Times, revealing that the PS5 achieved the 50 million units sold milestone in just 161 weeks, one week faster than the PlayStation 4. The PS5’s impressive sales performance faced challenges posed by the pandemic and the global chip shortage.
Notably, the PlayStation 4, launched in 2013, stands as the fifth best-selling console of all time with over 117 million units sold worldwide.
Ampere Analysis, a source cited by the Financial Times, provided data indicating that the PS5 outsold Microsoft’s Xbox Series by nearly three to one in 2023. This year, PS5 sales experienced a 65 percent growth, reaching 22.5 million units, while the Xbox Series faced a 15 percent decline, totaling 7.6 million units. Despite an 18 percent drop in demand for Nintendo’s Switch, it maintained strong performance with 16.4 million units sold.
The Nintendo Switch currently holds the third position among the best-selling game systems, with 132.46 million units sold. The PlayStation 5, at 50 million units, secures the 15th position, surpassing the Super Nintendo.
While Sony celebrates the success of the PS5, Microsoft remains a formidable player in the gaming industry. With the recent completion of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Xbox holds major franchises like Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, and World of Warcraft. This strategic move reinforces Microsoft’s standing and introduces new dynamics to the competitive landscape.
