Sony has announced that in the first quarter of this year, the PS5 sold an impressive 6.3 million units, setting a new record for Q1 console sales across all generations and platforms. After supply chain issues from the pandemic were resolved late last year, the first quarter provided the first glimpse into the PS5’s potential success, with Sony announcing impressive numbers for the period.
The sales milestone brings the total PS5 units sold to 38.4 million, inching closer to the PS4’s sales figure of around 41 million at the same point in its lifecycle, without the hindrance of major shortages, before ultimately selling 117 million units throughout its lifespan. Remarkably, these sales occurred without a major exclusive PS5 release during the first quarter of this year, with the most significant title being “Hogwarts Legacy,” which was also available on PC and Xbox Series X.
Furthermore, during an earnings call today, Sony President Hiroki Totoki stated that the company’s goal is to “continuously accelerate the penetration of PS5 and target selling 25 million units for the current fiscal year, the highest ever for any PlayStation console.”
This is an increase from the 19.1 million units sold in the fiscal year ending in March. The sales figures are expected to be bolstered by several game releases this year, which will abandon previous-gen console versions (PS4, XB1) in favor of software developed exclusively for new consoles or high-end PCs, prompting those who haven’t upgraded to do so.
Although Microsoft does not disclose sales numbers, Ampere Analysis estimated in February this year that Xbox Series X/S had sold 18.5 million units to date. If accurate, this would be consistent with the previous generation, where the PS4 outsold the Xbox One by approximately 2:1. Microsoft recently revealed that hardware sales for the Series X|S decreased by 30%. The Nintendo Switch has sold 122.55 million units since 2017, but its numbers are starting to wane as there’s a push for new hardware.
Source: PC Mag
