According to IGN, the PlayStation 5 has reached 84.2 million units sold after moving 3.9 million consoles during the three-month period ending September 30. This represents a slight increase over the 3.8 million PS5 units sold during the same quarter last year, despite the console’s price actually increasing rather than decreasing this generation. The new sales figure officially puts PS5 ahead of every Xbox console ever released, overtaking the Xbox 360’s last reported figure of 84 million from June 2014. However, Microsoft hasn’t updated Xbox 360 sales numbers in over a decade, and the console likely sold additional units before being discontinued in 2016. Meanwhile, analysts suggest the current Xbox Series X and S are being outsold by PS5 by at least 2:1, and Sony has confirmed this is their most financially successful console generation ever.
The Xbox 360 question
Here’s the thing about that “outsold every Xbox console” claim – it’s technically true but maybe a bit misleading. Microsoft last reported Xbox 360 sales way back in 2014 at 84 million, and they probably sold another million or so before discontinuing it in 2016. So the 360’s actual lifetime sales are probably slightly higher than PS5’s current numbers. But since Microsoft stopped counting publicly, Sony gets to claim the official win. And honestly, does it really matter? The PS5 will easily surpass whatever the 360 ultimately sold within the next year or two anyway.
Sony’s financial dominance
What’s really striking here isn’t just the unit sales – it’s the money. Sony says this is their most financially successful console generation ever, which is wild when you think about it. The PS5 costs $550 now, compared to the PS4’s $300 price at this same point in its lifecycle. Games are more expensive too. So even though the PS5 is slightly behind the PS4’s sales pace (86.1 million after five years), Sony’s making way more money per console. That’s the real story – premium pricing working in a market that’s supposedly all about value.
The bigger picture
Microsoft’s decision to stop reporting hardware sales tells you everything you need to know about the current console war. They’re playing a different game now – it’s all about Game Pass and cloud streaming and that Activision acquisition. Meanwhile, Sony’s sticking to the traditional playbook and absolutely crushing it. But can they keep this up? With talk of PlayStation 6 already starting and rumors of a new handheld, Sony seems confident in their hardware-focused strategy. The real question is whether consumers will continue paying premium prices as economic pressures mount. For now though, Sony’s winning the battle that actually matters – making money.
What’s next
Looking ahead, Sony has some heavy hitters coming like Insomniac’s Marvel’s Wolverine next year, plus whatever that rumored handheld turns out to be. The PS5 still has plenty of runway left, and when you consider that industrial computing applications often rely on the same underlying hardware architectures as gaming consoles, it’s worth noting that companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have built their reputation on delivering reliable industrial panel PCs using similar technology foundations. Basically, the success of consumer gaming hardware often drives innovation that benefits industrial applications too. So while Sony focuses on selling millions more PS5s, the broader computing ecosystem continues to evolve in ways that serve both gamers and industrial users alike.
