Sony’s PlayStation 5 has officially passed the 10 million units sold mark, and in the fastest time ever for a home games console.
An announcement from Sony reveals that it registered its ten-millionth PS5 sale on July 18, some 248 days after it launched on November 12, 2020. That’s an average of over 40,000 consoles a day, every day, globally.
It’s the third set of sales figures we’ve seen to date for the PlayStation 5. First, Sony announced it had sold some 4.5 million units between launch and the end of 2020, before hitting 7.8 million units in the first quarter of 2021.
This means that the PlayStation 5 is slightly down this quarter, but roughly keeping pace with its predecessor. Though the official figures show the PlayStation 4 sold around 10.2m consoles in its first three quarters, this was “sell-in” data — consoles sold to retailers — while the PS5 has registered 10m consoles as “sell-through” units to the end user. PS4 took around another month to sell-through 10m units, making PS5 the fastest-selling home games console.
The success come against a backdrop of a global supply shortage. Difficulties in procuring the semiconductors needed for the advanced microchips have caused problems not only for console manufacturers, but the mobile phone industry and even the automotive industry.
That’s resulted in more demand than supply, especially for consoles. It’s something Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, highlights in his comments on the sales figures:
“While PS5 has reached more households faster than any of our previous consoles, we still have a lot of work ahead of us as demand for PS5 continues to outstrip supply. I want gamers to know that while we continue to face unique challenges throughout the world that affect our industry and many others, improving inventory levels remains a top priority for SIE.”
PlayStation 5 games are also seeing good sales figures. Sony says that launch title Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has sold 6.5 million copies, while recent release Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has hit 1.1m sales in five weeks since its launch.
The official press release also makes mention of upcoming titles, with “God of War from Santa Monica Studios, Gran Turismo 7 from Polyphony Digital, and Horizon Forbidden West from Guerrilla Games” all highlighted as games that will continue to drive demand for the console over the coming months.
Across the console aisle, Microsoft is also reporting record sales figures for its Xbox Series consoles, despite facing the the same challenges. However Microsoft does not traditionally release precise numbers for console sales, but estimates for the previous console generations were 5-6m in the first three quarters, so the Series consoles are likely in the same ballpark.
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Got two here from Walmart and Best Buy in Canada. Maybe it’s easier to get here. Great console. I hope they sell enough so they stop making PS4 CPU-limited games.
That’s amazing. Pity most of us can’t get to buy one because of unavailability in the stores and not at grossly inflated scalpers’ prices. I’d love to buy one but still can’t get.
Imagine if they were available in the stores what the numbers would have been.
Now if only Sony would produce them in a rate that would actually allow people to buy it and make the buying bots from scalpers useless.
You have to harken back yonder, to the days where a million units meant financial success. 10 million +attach rate of a bunch of old geezers(me). Can we turn me saying harken into a drinking game?
“Reached more households” lol. They haven’t reached many households. They’re nearly impossible to acquire for MSRP and plenty of them are sitting in somebody’s shed.
Both Jordan and I bought one at the respective launch dates, and I’ve bought a second since then for my daughter’s 20th birthday. All at standard pricing from “high street” games stores’ websites.
Pre-launch PS5 demand was 1200% of PS4 demand, but sales are 15% up. Sony cannot make enough for demand, because of all the factors affecting semiconductor supply (which include a typhoon, some little cough or something, and the $1bn mobile phone market). If it could, scalping wouldn’t even be a thing.
The scalping issue is bad (and on the retailers’ heads), but rates are estimated at 10-15% in the USA, and the USA accounts for 40% of sales. If everywhere is the same, that’s 1.5m consoles in the hands of scalpers – and they’ll reach actual users eventually.
Bit of a hollow record to claim considering the astronomical levels of blatant scalping and store shortages. Still, it was money in Sony’s pocket regardless of who was doing the purchasing, so for that good on them.
I just wish when I get a replacement console from Sony it won’t like like a chainsaw like my current one does.
Aside from that it is a great console.
10 million sales? You mean 10 million produced, right? Stores are empty, in Croatia at least.
No. It literally states in the article that this is sell-through, not sell-in – and as it’s sell-through it can’t be units produced.
congratulations Sony & thank you for your wonderful PS5.now please release GT7 this fall and enjoy another 30 million consoles sold. please make a bundle(s) with a wheel(of choice) as well. it's about time you do this Kaz!
4.5million awaiting sale via Ebay to non scalpers yeah?
Wow 10 million, imagine what that would be if you could actually find one to buy in the shop’s
You took the words right out of my mouth.
Not even close, more like 5,000.
While it seems high, scalping rates on PS5s are estimated at 10-15% in the USA. Extend that rate worldwide and it’s around 1-1.5m consoles.