PS5 catches up to PS4 in sales despite longstanding stock issues

27 July 2023 , 13:00

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After launching back in November 2020, the PS5 has hit 40 million units sold as of July 2023. This lags just two behind the sales of the PS4 which didn't face the same stock issues. (Image: Sony)

After launching back in November 2020, the PS5 has hit 40 million units sold as of July 2023. This lags just two behind the sales of the PS4 which didn't face the same stock issues.

Sony has confirmed in a blog post that the PS5 has now sold 40 million units as of July 16, 2023. Although this milestone wasn't reached as quickly as it was with the PS4, this is still an impressive feat given the major stock issues the console faced due to Covid-19.

The PS5 was launched back in November 2020 and hit 40 million sales as of July 2023 meaning it took two years and eight months to achieve this, lagging just two months behind the PS4. The predecessor, which was released in November 2013 hit 40 million sales just two years and six months later in May 2016 as revealed in a blog post.

During its early years, the PS4 didn't face stock issues in the same light as the PS5 which saw scalpers listing the device for as much as £1000 due to the insanely high demand which was not being fulfilled by Sony. After two years of it being increasingly difficult to get your hands on a PS5, Jim Ryan, PlayStation CEO finally confirmed that the stock issues were resolved as of December 2022.

Since this, PS5 sales have matched up with those of the PS4 with both consoles going from 30 million to 40 million units sold in just seven months, proving the console is just as popular as its previous version. This comes as a slight surprise given that the disc edition of the PS5 launched at $100 higher than the PS4 and the price has only hiked further up since then, whereas the PS4 saw a price cut two years into its life.

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Will the PS5 dominate?

Going from 40 million to 50 million units sold was an easy victory for the PS4, completing the challenge in just eight months which Sony confirmed in a press release. With PS5 stock issues resolved and the fact that the console has since sold units as quickly as the previous generation of console, it feels like it's only up from here.

As many gamers finally get their hands on a PS5 after not being able to get ahold of one for years, sales are sure to soar and potentially surpass those of the PS4. With some great first-party exclusives coming to the console, such as Marvel's Spider-Man 2 it feels like a great time to invest in the PlayStation ecosystem.

Jasmine Mannan