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As of this week, PlayStation 5 has surpassed 100 million consoles sold
Sony’s PlayStation 5 has passed 100 million consoles shipped to retailers, reaching the milestone on 10 November, almost six years after launch. The figure marks a major sales achievement, bringing the PS5 close to the PS4’s 117 million and the original PlayStation’s 102.4 million, but it does not count only consoles already bought by consumers.
Recent sales have slowed: Sony reported 2.6 million PS5s shipped in the second quarter of its 2026 financial year, down from 4 million in the same quarter a year earlier. That was the lowest second quarter since launch, though higher than the previous quarter’s 1.6 million; repeated price rises are cited as a major factor in the wider downturn, while Sony’s revenue strategy has helped protect its bottom line.
In short
- PS5 shipments have topped 100 million.
- The milestone came almost six years after launch.
- Quarterly shipments have fallen as prices have risen.
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The case for
Reaching 100 million shipments is a substantial commercial achievement: the PS5 has built a global audience and is approaching the lifetime sales of earlier PlayStation consoles. Shipments also help Sony supply retailers and sustain its console ecosystem, while the company’s revenue strategy may cushion the effects of slower sales and higher costs.
The case against
Shipments to retailers do not show how many consoles consumers have actually bought, so the milestone may overstate demand if stock remains unsold. Sales have also slowed, with second-quarter shipments at their lowest for that period since launch; repeated price rises may make the console less accessible and weaken its momentum.
Explained simply
Sony’s PlayStation is a long-running range of home video game consoles. The PlayStation 5, or PS5, launched in 2020 and competes mainly with Microsoft’s Xbox consoles and Nintendo’s Switch; Sony also sells games and online services for its systems.
Console sales are often reported as units shipped to shops, which can include stock not yet bought by players. The PS5’s total is therefore not the same as the number of consoles in homes, and comparisons with earlier PlayStation generations use the same kind of measure.
The milestone gives a sense of the PS5’s reach, while the slower recent shipments help show how demand has changed over time. Sales figures matter to Sony because they affect its gaming business, alongside income from games, subscriptions and other services.
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