PlayStation 5’s Lifetime Sales Are Even More Impressive Than You Think

The PS5 also compares favorably to the Nintendo Switch: the current generation hardware sales leader and one of the best-selling consoles ever. Based on the numbers Nintendo has previously shared, the Switch passed the 40 million units sold mark in September or October of 2019. In fact, the Switch reached about 50+ million units sold in the time it took the PS5 to reach the 40 million units mark. There are a lot of variables to consider when comparing those two consoles’ sales (such as the Switch being available throughout the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns), but the point remains that the PS5 is on-pace to become one of the five best-selling consoles ever. 

Of course, there are slightly fewer variables to consider when comparing the PS5’s sales to the Xbox Series X/S sales. After all, both launched around the same time, both offered similar hardware performance, and both faced many of the same supply chain hurdles. So how does the PS5 compare to Xbox’s latest consoles? I’m glad you asked. 

The PS5 Has Nearly Doubled the Xbox Series X/S’ Sales So Far

While Microsoft rarely releases official hardware sales figures these days, the company recently suggested that the Xbox Series X and S have combined to sell a little over 21 million units so far. That means that the PS5 has nearly doubled the Xbox Series X/S sales in roughly the same amount of time. 

Now, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you’re looking at those numbers. Most notably, the Xbox team has been very clear about the fact that they are more concerned with their live services, cloud technology, and other hardware-adjacent features than they are with pure hardware sales. More importantly, PlayStation and Nintendo obviously have a huge sales advantage in Japan and other global regions that the Xbox team hasn’t been able to fully reach quite yet.

However, that information arguably makes the PS5’s sales figures that much more impressive. After all, the Xbox Series X/S aren’t just great consoles; they’re consoles that have outperformed Microsoft’s internal expectations, especially in the global regions where Xbox hardware has historically struggled. Yet, despite that increased competition (not to mention what the Switch is currently doing and the growing global popularity of PC gaming), the PS5 remains a hardware sales juggernaut.

The PS5’s story is far from over. A lot can happen between now and whenever Sony decides to replace the console with its next generation of hardware. However, the sheer metrics suggest that the PS5 will go down as one of Sony’s most successful gaming consoles. That’s a testament to the quality of the hardware and its exclusives for sure, but you also have to consider the PS5 to be something of a victory lap for the reputation that Sony has established for the entire PlayStation line until this point.