Sony has revealed the latest sales numbers for the PlayStation 5 to GamesIndustry.biz, and it paints a rosy picture for the console: the ninth-generation device has, thus far, sold over 20 million units worldwide.
That should come as little surprise as Sony’s own FY21 figures placed the console at 19.2m units sold-through. It’s certainly been in high demand since launching in November 2020; according to an official Sony report last month, the PlayStation 5 moved 80,000 units in its first 82 minutes on sale, while it took its predecessor nine days to move the same amount.
Demand, of course, isn’t the issue. If it weren’t for the continued shortage of silicon, the PS5 would have met this figure much sooner, rather than becoming something of a unicorn.
Indeed thanks to the continued shortages, the PS5 is now trailing its predecessor’s sales figures, by just under 20%. However, the company expects the current-gen machine will pick up steam in its fourth year.
That will be aided by Sony’s plan to ramp up production for the remainder of this year, to make more consoles available for those who want one.
In the report, for the Sony Investor Relations Business Briefings, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s president Jim Ryan also highlighted the PS5’s considerably higher user engagement rate, with more daily and monthly active users (DAU/MAU) and monthly gameplay hours per user than its predecessors.
Ryan cited first-party games such as Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, and Horizon: Forbidden West as key to that engagement, with “the best yet to come”. That’s likely to continue driving interest for the console.
The coming months, especially the 2022 holiday season, will be the true test for the PlayStation 5. As this year and 2023 will definitely pique interest, what with the likes of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Final Fantasy XVI on the way.
It remains to be seen if the PS5 can outmatch its predecessor’s 100 million units sold in record time.
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