PlayStation 5 console sales pass 46 million

PlayStation 5 controller held by a man
Credit: JESHOOTS.COM

PlayStation 5 controller held by a man
Credit: JESHOOTS.COM

Sony's PlayStation 5 has officially sold 46 million units, marking a significant sales milestone in the console's history. The tech giant's latest financial earnings report revealed that the PlayStation 5 continues to be a sales juggernaut.

Across the second financial quarter, which ended on September 30, Sony revealed that 4.9 million PlayStation 5 consoles were sold across the period, marking an almost 50 percent increase in sales from the previous year.

The scale of increased sales is owed to the lack of stock Sony had available last year which has seen been remedied with the end of the global chip shortage. There is also still a high demand for the PS5, likely due to the console’s high-quality single-player exclusive games.

The achievement is even more remarkable given that Sony had grappled with persistent supply chain issues, which had hampered its ability to meet consumer demand. Despite these challenges, Sony managed to eclipse the sales figures from the same period last year by 1.6 million units. As of September 30, the total number of PlayStation 5 consoles sold since its launch in November 2020 stands at 46.6 million.

Spider-Man 2 - two spider-men looking at the camera
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Credit: Sony
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has played a huge part in the PS5's recent success

Sony's optimistic outlook for its gaming division remains strong, having set an ambitious target to ship 25 million PS5 units at the start of this financial year. To hit this goal, Sony is counting on the sales of 16.8 million more units; a high bar to reach considering the 19.1 million PS5 consoles sold in the entire financial year of 2022.

However, buoyed by the launch of the new, smaller PS5 models and the holiday shopping season just around the corner, Sony's leadership is confident of reaching their target. The upcoming PS5 Slim, PS Portal, and the fervor surrounding Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which has already sold 5 million copies, are expected to significantly contribute to Sony's sales drive.

With Christmas now looming and new cheaper hardware options becoming available, Sony seems poised to capitalize on the upcoming festive buying frenzy. It seems increasingly likely that the PlayStation 5 will break the 50 million mark, or perhaps even 60 million, before the end of this financial year.