Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) has reached a new milestone in the gaming industry, surpassing 50 million units sold worldwide since its launch in November 2020. The PS5 has also outperformed its rival, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S, by a wide margin, selling three times as many consoles in 2023.
Sales Comparison between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
According to the latest data from market research firm NPD Group, the PS5 was the best-selling console in the US for the 12th consecutive month in November 2023, with 2.1 million units sold. The Xbox Series X/S, on the other hand, sold only 700,000 units in the same period, trailing behind the Nintendo Switch, which sold 1.4 million units.
The PS5’s dominance over the Xbox Series X/S is not limited to the US market. In the UK, the PS5 sold 1.3 million units in 2023, compared to 400,000 units for the Xbox Series X/S, according to GamesIndustry.biz. In Japan, the PS5 sold 1.1 million units, while the Xbox Series X/S sold only 100,000 units, according to Famitsu.
One of the factors that contributed to the PS5’s success over the Xbox Series X/S was the departure of Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard, one of the largest game publishers in the world. Kotick resigned in November 2023, amid allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, and toxic work culture at the company. Activision Blizzard, which owns popular franchises such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, had a long-standing partnership with Sony, giving PS5 players exclusive access to some of its games and content. However, after Kotick’s resignation, Activision Blizzard announced that it would end its exclusivity deal with Sony, and make its games available on all platforms, including the Xbox Series X/S.
Sony’s Announcement and Success
Despite losing its advantage over Activision Blizzard’s games, Sony still had a strong lineup of exclusive games for the PS5, such as God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, and Gran Turismo 7. These games, along with the PS5’s superior hardware and features, such as the DualSense controller and the 3D audio, attracted millions of gamers to the PS5.
On December 15, 2023, Sony announced that the PS5 had reached 50 million sales worldwide, making it the fastest-selling console in history, just one week slower than the PS4, which achieved the same feat in 2018. Sony also revealed that the PS5 had generated over $25 billion in revenue and that PS5 owners had spent over 3 billion hours playing games on the console.
To celebrate the PS5’s success, Sony launched a popular PlayStation Store sale, offering discounts of up to 70% on hundreds of PS5 and PS4 games, such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Ghost of Tsushima. The sale, which ran from December 17 to January 5, 2024, boosted the PS5’s software sales and digital revenue.
The PS5 also benefited from the high demand for gaming consoles during the holiday season, as many people sought entertainment and escapism amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The PS5 was one of the most sought-after gifts for Christmas, and many retailers struggled to keep up with the demand, resulting in long queues, online crashes, and scalping.
The PS5’s impressive performance in 2023 has cemented its position as the leader of the current console generation and has given Sony a significant edge over Microsoft and Nintendo. With more exclusive games, updates, and features planned for the PS5 in 2024, Sony is confident that the PS5 will continue to grow and delight its fans around the world.
