PlayStation 5 hits 10 million sales to become Sony’s ‘fastest selling console’

PlayStation 5 has become Sony’s fastest selling console after topping 10 million sales globally.

The console hit the milestone on July 18, about eight months after its launch on November 12, 2020, the platform holder claimed on Wednesday.

PS5 achieved 10 million sales just under a month quicker than the PS4 managed following its November 2013 launch.

Sony has also released sales figures for several first-party titles.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales has sold 6.5 million copies since November 12, 2020, MLB: The Show has surpassed two million sales since April 16, 2021, Returnal has sold more than 560,000 copies since April 30, 2021, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has sold over one million units since June 11, 2021.

“I can’t express enough the deep gratitude we feel for our passionate community of PlayStation fans who have embraced PS5, and the world-class development and publishing partners who bring such incredible gaming experiences to our platforms,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

“While PS5 has reached more households faster than any of our previous consoles, we still have a lot of work ahead of us as demand for PS5 continues to outstrip supply. I want gamers to know that while we continue to face unique challenges throughout the world that affect our industry and many others, improving inventory levels remains a top priority for SIE.”

Ryan also told GamesIndustry.biz that PS5 has seen double digit growth in terms of engagement compared with PS4’s launch window.

“Engagement on the platform is the highest that we’ve ever seen whichever way you look at it,” he said.

“Whether it’s the number of people measured by a metric such as MAU [monthly active users], or whether it’s the time that these people spend playing games. Both of these metrics are showing very significant double-digit growth compared to the launch window of PS4, the previous high-water mark.”

Sony launched its PlayStation Store Summer Sale last week, featuring savings on thousands of games, according to the firm.

Of note, four of its first-party PS5 games are discounted. They are Demon’s Souls, Returnal, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure (the last two are also available on PS4).

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Microsoft also claimed on Tuesday that Xbox Series X/S, which launched in November 2020 too, are the company’s fastest selling consoles ever.

“The Xbox Series S and X are our fastest selling consoles ever with more consoles sold life to date than any previous generation,” CEO Satya Nadella said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call.

Research firm Niko Partners estimates that total Xbox Series X/S shipments reached 6.5 million as of June 30, 2021. That compares to its estimate of 5.7 million for Xbox One and 5 million for Xbox 360 in the same timeframe.