Sony has sold 10 million PlayStation 5 units while Microsoft is estimated to have moved 6.5 million Xbox Series X/S consoles. They continue to be in short supply due to the global chip shortage.
Console sales records
Since its launch in November 2020, the PlayStation 5 has sold 10 million units, Sony has disclosed. PS5 reached the 10 million milestone in 249 days compared to 271 days for PS4, making PS5 the company's fastest selling console to date.
- "We are thrilled to announce that as of July 18th, 2021, we have sold more than 10 million PlayStation 5 consoles globally. This makes PS5 the fastest-selling console in the history of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and we couldn’t be more excited about the amazing response of our fans," announced Sony.
Microsoft ceased disclosing sales figures in the previous console generation after Xbox One fell behind PS4, but Microsoft is likewise claiming that Xbox Series X/S are its fastest selling consoles. That is Microsoft comparing its two current consoles to the previous Xbox generations.
- "The Xbox Series S and X are our fastest selling consoles ever, with more consoles sold life-to-date than any previous generation," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
Analyst firm Niko Partners has estimated that Xbox Series X/S sales were 6.5 million as of June 30th, 2021, compared to 5.7 and 5.0 million for Xbox One and Xbox 360, respectively, in the same launch timeframe.
Also read: PS5 and Xbox Series X likely to be in short supply until 2022
The new game consoles break sales records amid a global pandemic that has led to increased demand for home entertainment devices, which in turn has caused a global chip shortage that is likely to persist into 2022, according to industry observers.
- Source: Sony, Microsoft, Niko Partners
