ALBAWABA – Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) hit 50 million sales this month, after years of disrupted supply chains and shortages, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Sony’s PlayStation launched in November 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since overcome the many challenges that disrupted production, including but not limited to a shortage of chips.
Still, the PS5 reached the 50-million-unit milestone within the same duration as the PS4, with Sony saying its flagship console enjoyed "strong momentum" in 2023.
"This is an eye-popping number, given the PS5 hasn't even been properly available at retail for half of its life cycle," Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Kantan Games, told AFP.
Since releasing the first PlayStation in 1994, Sony has grown into a titan of console gaming, a market whose revenues in 2023 have been estimated at more than $53 billion, according to Newzoo.
Sony’s PlayStation 2 still holds the record for bestselling console with more than 155 million units sold, while the PS4 exceeded 117 million, company data showed.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 hits 50m sales - Shutterstock
This milestone caps a strong year in gaming for Sony.
In October, "Marvel's Spider-Man 2", developed by Sony-owned Insomniac Games, became the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game in the first 24 hours after release.
The company said Sony’s PlayStation 5 also enjoyed a boost in 2023 from the success of games including "Baldur's Gate 3" and "Alan Wake 2".
Since 2001, Microsoft's Xbox consoles have emerged as the PlayStation's main challengers.
While the PS5 is outselling the latest Xbox consoles, according to estimates by industry analysts, as reported by AFP, Microsoft has made a strong push in recent years to boost its position in the market.
That has included mega acquisitions of developers including the $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard, the maker of the blockbuster "Call of Duty" games
Sony had previously tried to block the Activision deal but agreed with Microsoft in July to keep releasing "Call of Duty" on the PlayStation.
