The PlayStation 5 continues to outperform Sony’s wildest expectations. The console manufacturer announced another banner year for hardware sales, including over 6 million in the last quarter alone. With Spider-Man 2 just around the corner, Sony says it’s planning to sell an unprecedented 25 million PS5s in 2023.
“Last quarter, PS5 hardware sell-in reached 6.3 million units, a record high for PS consoles for the fourth quarter, and 19.1 million units for the full fiscal year of FY22,” Sony wrote in its latest earnings report. Supply shortages are no longer an issue, with the company claiming it can now deliver a PS5 to almost anyone in the world with no wait times, and PlayStation added 2.3 million more monthly active players compared to March 2022.
We all knew the PS5 was doing well, but it’s already on pace to surpass the PS4 in many regards. Industry analysis group Circana announced earlier this month that PS5 sales had now exceeded where the PS4 was at this point in its life-cycle. Sony now says it plans to sell 25 million more PS5s in the year ahead, much more than the 20 million PS4s it sold in that console’s third year and “the highest ever for any PS console in history.”
It’s especially significant considering the slow start the PS5 got off to due to covid-induced supply chain issues, component shortages, and major game delays. Contrary to earlier suggestions, Sony ended up making almost all of its major first-party games backwards compatible with the PS4. Players decided to upgrade anyway.
Now as more and more games become “next-gen” exclusives, that trend will probably accelerate. Hogwarts Legacy was cross-gen, but its PS4 version doesn’t arrive until May 5. Horizon Forbidden West’s expansion, Burning Shores, is PS5-only, and Spider-Man 2 will be as well once it arrives later this year (reportedly around September).
The PS5’s momentum also comes without any news about upgraded or streamlined versions of the hardware similar to the PS4 Pro and Slim. Or announcements of any new major franchises, for that matter. Those might finally be coming soon though. “We aim to continue creating new IP, rolling out catalog titles for PC and strengthening live game service development,” Sony wrote, though it’s forecasting an overall drop in sales of first-party games in 2023. The company previously claimed it would launch over 10 new online multiplayer games by 2026.
? ? ? ? ? ? ?