PlayStation 5 sales reached 40 million units

Recently, Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, announced on the official blog that as of July 27, 2023, the sales of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console have reached an astounding milestone of 40 million units. In light of this achievement, Ryan extended his heartfelt gratitude to the fan base and the community of PS5 gamers.

As the successor to the PlayStation 4 (PS4), the PS5 was first announced in 2019 and officially launched in November 2020. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic cast a shadow over the early days of PS5, making it less smooth than the launch of its predecessor, the PS4. Component shortages led to an inadequate supply of the PS5. Looking back at this period, Ryan noted that the supply of PS5 has now become considerably abundant, sufficiently meeting the demands of the gaming community.

Three years into its lifecycle, the PS5 now boasts over 2,500 games. According to Ryan, the past couple of months have been an opportune time to experience the PS5, given the release of sequels to renowned gaming series like ‘Final Fantasy XVI’, ‘Diablo IV’, and ‘Street Fighter 6’ on the PS5 platform.

According to a report by VG247, a staggering 6.3 million PS5 units were sold between January and March this year alone, underscoring the intense demand among gamers. However, the PS4 still holds the record as the fastest-selling console in Sony’s history, having reached the 40 million units milestone two months faster than the PS5. Had there been no initial supply issues, one might speculate that the PS5 could have surpassed the PS4 in terms of sales velocity.

So, how does the Xbox Series X|S fare in comparison? While Microsoft has not released its console sales figures in quite some time, third-party reports indicate their sales to be around 21 million. If these reports are indeed accurate, it can be inferred that Sony continues to maintain an unshakeable lead in this generation, extending the advantage it held during the PS4 era.