Category Interesting Facts

30+ PlayStation Statistics: The Numbers Behind Sony’s Gaming Console

Author Toni Published on 13 min read

Last modified on October 3rd, 2022 at 11:48 am

This article will look at some fascinating PlayStation statistics, such as its astounding sales figures, limited edition consoles, game stats and facts, and more.

What did it take to step into the future of gaming? Let’s press play and find out!

Top 10 PlayStation Statistics to Get Your Game On

  • The PlayStation Network (PSN) had over 102 million active users in June 2022.
  • Sony PlayStation holds the Guinness World Record for the most-sold gaming console brand ever.
  • Тhe latest PlayStation Plus statistics show a yearly increase of 6.1 million users for FY 2020/21. 
  • Women account for more than 40% of all PS4/PS5 gamers.
  • The PS5 sales numbers are forecast at 67.3 million by the end of 2024.
  • As of 5 June 2021, Sony has sold more than 9 million PlayStation 5 consoles.
  • PlayStation holds a market share of 49.3% in the United Kingdom as of June 2021.
  • 32.2% of PlayStation 4 owners own an Xbox One console too.
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best-selling PS4 game of all time.
  • With 3.93 million sales ahead of the newest Xbox, PlayStation 5 holds the commanding lead as of June 2021.

General PlayStation Statistics

1. Who owns PlayStation?

(Playstation)

Sony acquired Sucker Punch Productions in 2009. Recognized as a worldwide leader in interactive and digital entertainment, SIE is responsible for the PlayStation brand and family of products and services

2. The PlayStation Network had over 102 million active users in June 2022.

(Statista)

According to the PlayStation statistics in 2022, the PS network had just over 102 MAU, which was a decrease of 9 million compared to December 2021.

3. Sony PlayStation holds the Guinness World Record for the most-sold gaming console brand ever.

(ONE Esports)

One of the most interesting facts about PlayStation is that Sony has been awarded the title of best-selling home console brand in history. By November 2019, Sony has sold over 450 million PlayStation consoles across its whole lineup—an impressive feat that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Guinness World Records adjudicators.

4. In FY 2020/21, Sony’s Game and Network Services generated $25.03 billion.

(Statista) (Siliconera)

The most recent PlayStation sales statistics released by Sony in April 2021 reveal that its GNS revenue has climbed to over $25 billion in the 12 months ending on March 31, 2021—more than three times the amount ($7.57 billion) reported in 2011. Moreover, owing to the sales impact of the PS5 launch, Sony was also left with $3.22 billion in profits.

5. Over 4,000 old-gen games can be played on the PS5.

(GamesRadar+)

Backwards compatibility on the PS5 is a lot simpler than it was for the previous console generations. With the exception of a few games, you can now transfer your whole PS4 library to the PS5. This feature applies to both digital and physical game copies.

Related: How many people play Among Us?

6. When was the Playstation 1 released?

(Britannica)

The Playstation was first released in Japan in December 1994. However, it was until 1995 that the PS made its official debut in the US.

7. How many PlayStations are there?

(Gamespot)

Since its inception in 1994, Sony has produced five major consoles, all of which have been updated.

Playstation Usage Statistics

8. The latest PlayStation Plus statistics show a yearly increase of 6.1 million users for FY 2020/21.

(Statista)

Per the PlayStation Plus membership stats revealed by Sony in April 2021, the PSP had more than 47.6 million subscribers—a significant increase from the 41.5 million reported a year prior. The tremendous popularity boost of the PlayStation Plus platform in recent years is apparent when you consider it only had 8 million subscribers in 2014.

9. In 2020, Playstation users accumulated a total of 60.9 billion gameplay hours.

(Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.) 

Sony’s PlayStation game stats, published in their latest Game & Network Services Segment report, show that users have collectively played for nearly 61 billion hours, which is equivalent to almost 7 million years.

Furthermore, the average gameplay hours on the PS5 during the first five months of release are significantly higher than those of the PS4. For instance, while gamers used the PS5 for 62.3 hours on average in January 2021 (two months after release), PS4 users played an average of 40.9 hours two months after the PS4 launch.

10. The PS4 and PS5 are most popular with users aged 31–36.

(Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)

Looking at the PlayStation account stats in Sony’s Game & Network Services Segment released in 2021, we can see that the PS4 and PS5 are most popular with gamers between 31 and 36 years of age.

On the other hand, the PS1 was mostly used by teenagers aged 13 to 18, meaning that the company customer base has remained loyal over time.

Similar: Roblox statistics and facts

11. Women account for more than 40% of all PS4/PS5 gamers.

(Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)

The number of women who own a PS console has increased significantly in recent years. According to Sony, women account for 41% of all PlayStation users nowadays—an increase of 23% since the PS1 days.

12. In FY 2020/21, 10% of all PlayStation sales came from outside the EU, North America and Japan.

(Road to VR)

Other PlayStation facts found in the GNS Segment point out that South and Central America, Africa, and most of Asia are Sony’s growing markets.

While these marketplaces contributed only 1% of PS sales revenue in FY 2020, they have seen boosted sales over the years. By 2010, that number has increased to 5%, and now it stands at more than 10%.

13. So far, the PlayStation VR is the best-selling virtual reality headset.

(VGChartz)

Unlike other headset manufacturers, Sony has been revealing its PlayStation VR world statistics regularly over the years. These figures show us that by the start of 2020, Sony has sold around 5 million units—far more than other brands.

Playstation Sales Statistics

14. According to Playstation statistics 2022, in July, Sony has sold over 102 million units worldwide.

(Statista)

As of 2022 in July, Sony has sold 102.49 million units across the world. North America is the continent where Sony sold the most units with over 40 million, followed by the EU with 31 million and Japan with 21 million units.

15. The PlayStation 2 is the all-time best-selling console worldwide.

(Statista)

One of the most fascinating PlayStation sales statistics is the staggering number of PS2s bought by console gamers. With its 157.68 million purchases throughout its lifetime, PlayStation 2 is the most-sold game console of any type—ahead of Nintendo DS by almost 3 million units.

16. By September 2020, Sony sold 87.41 million PlayStation 3 units worldwide.

(Statista)

Since Sony released the PlayStation 3 in late 2006, it has sold almost 88 million units, as shown by Statista’s PlayStation 3 sales statistics released in late 2020. The company sold 34.99 million units in Europe and 29.42 million in North America. The rest of the world bought around 12.53 million PS3s, with the remainder (10.5 million) going to Japanese gamers.

Related: Best video games quotes

17. Sony’s PlayStation 4 has sold 114.19 million units worldwide as of November 2020.

(Statista)

As Statista’s latest PlayStation sales statistics show us, the fourth Sony console was reaching 115 million sales by the end of 2020.

After release, the PlayStation 4 sales were trending unusually. For example, Sony sold more PS4s in the third and fourth year of the platform’s life than during the first two.

18. The PS5 sales numbers are forecast at 67.3 million by the end of 2024.

(Statista) (The Verge)

The latest PlayStation sales predictions turned out quite accurate. Before 2021, the company managed to sell 4.5 million PS5 units.

Additionally, the latest Statista PlayStation statistics and predictions indicate that the PS5 is expected to sell around 17.9 million units through the end of 2021, and over 67 million units by the end of 2024.

19. As of November 2021, the number of PS5 consoles sold is over 14 million.

(VGChartz)

According to the most recent Sony PlayStation sales statistics, the company sold 318,061 PS5s for the week ending in November. The latest numbers suggest that Sony’s newest console is most popular in Europe.

20. PlayStation holds a market share of 49.3% in the United Kingdom as of June 2021.

(Stat Counter)

Statcounter data from June 2021 shows that almost half of UK console gamers are using a PlayStation. However, if we look at the PlayStation company growth on a global scale, we’ll see that the Sony PS dominates the console market with a 59.45% share.

Playstation Vs. Xbox Statistics

21. 32.2 % of PlayStation 4 owners own an Xbox One console too.

(Gamasutra)

Recent PS4 vs Xbox One stats released by Ampere Analysis in 2020 suggest that while consumers pick one or the other brand at launch, a large number also tend to buy the competition’s product in the long run.

For example, around a third of PS4 owners have also bought an Xbox One. In contrast, Xbox One owners are less satisfied with their initial choice, as evidenced by almost half of Microsoft’s consumers who have also bought a PS4.

22. In 2016, PS4 users played 12 minutes less on a daily average than Xbox One gamers.

(GlobalWebIndex)

The GlobalWebIndex conducted a survey in Q2 2016 to reveal various Xbox vs PlayStation statistics, including time spent playing per day.

GWI’s findings revealed that while Xbox users played for 2 hours 27 minutes per day, PS4 users spent 2 hours and 12 minutes daily with their consoles.

23. With 3.93 million sales ahead of the newest Xbox, PlayStation 5 holds the commanding lead as of June 2021.

(VGChartz)

The PS5 and the Xbox X|S were released within a few days of each other (November 2020), allowing for a fair comparison between their sales performance.

Looking at the worldwide PS5 vs Xbox Series X sales, we see that the PS5 is currently ahead with about 4 million units eight months after Microsoft and Sony launched their newest platforms.

The PlayStation 5 is also ahead of the initial PS4 sales number, with over 550,000 sold units (once you align their launch dates).

24. With a 60% share, the PlayStation brand currently dominates the global console market.

(Stat Counter)

After including the Xbox and Playstation sales statistics from June 2021 into the latest market share estimates, we see that the PS brand holds the majority share of almost 60%, while Xbox sales account for the other 40%.

Finally, Nintendo, the pioneer in gaming consoles, is involved with a less-than-1% share in the market.

You might also be interested in our Mobile gaming statistics article

Playstation Games Statistics

25. Gran Turismo was the best-selling game for the PS1.

(Giant Bomb)

The original PlayStation game stats tell us that the best-selling game franchises for the PS1 are Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy.

The first Gran Turismo game sold around 10.85 million copies, going down in history as the best-selling PS1 game of all time. Final Fantasy VII follows closely with 10 million copies. Moreover, the third and fourth places are taken by their sequels.

26. Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best-selling PS4 game of all time.

(Statista)

With around 20 million units shipped globally since its September 2018 release, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best-selling PS4 game of all time, according to a March 2021 survey. The same Sony PlayStation sales statistics reveal that GTA V is a close second with 19.4 million copies sold.

27. In September 2020, Fortnite had more than 25 million monthly active users on PS4.

(Statista)

Statista’s latest PlayStation player stats show us that Fortnite is one of the most popular video games of all time, with more than 350 million registered users worldwide. Furthermore, around 25 million of all registered users logged onto the game’s servers in September 2020.

28. Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V are the best-rated PS4 games of all time.

(Metacritic)

With a Metacritic score of 97/100, RDR 2 and GTA V share the top spot as the best-reviewed games on PS4.

These PlayStation 4 facts about the console’s most popular games have been established as a weighted average of all published critic reviews, without any input from users.

Related: Assassin’s creed games in order

29. God of War had the most successful launch as a PlayStation exclusive in history.

(PlayStation LIfeStyle)

One of the most interesting facts about PlayStation 4 is that God of War had a momentous launch, selling a record 3.1 million copies within three days.

This latest instalment in the franchise has also earned over $131 million in its first month after release, and as of 2019, it has accrued $500 million in profits. 

Playstation 5 Statistics and Facts

30. The PS5 is over eight times more powerful than the PS4.

(Digital Trends)

The PS5’s GPU is about eight times more powerful than the PS4 and two.5 times as powerful as the PS4 Pro, according to the PlayStation statistics in 2022. The PS5’s 36 CUs and greater clock speed allow Sony to deliver such exceptional results.

31. 37 million units were shipped 4 weeks after release.

(Vg Chartz)

The PS5 sales numbers show that in the 4 weeks after they released the console, Sony managed to ship 4.5 million units around the globe, and by April that number rose to 7.8 million.

32. The PS5 library includes more than 360 games.

(VG Chartz)

The latest PS5 statistics show that there are more than 360 games in the PS5 library from which Fortnite and Call of Duty: Black Ops are the most popular ones. Furthermore, you can also play more than 4.000 old gen games according to the PS5 facts.

Awesome Playstation Facts

33. The iconic PlayStation controller was designed to match the games’ 3D graphics.

(The Fact Site)

Unlike the flat game controllers of the late 90s, Sony’s ​​Teiyu Goto made a controller with a 3D design to represent the three-dimensional worlds found in its games. Goto also designed the shape and colour of the symbols on its buttons.

Related: Esports facts and statistics

34. In 2002, a PS2 fan legally changed his name to Mr. PlayStation 2.

(Game Rant)

Of all crazy PlayStation 2 facts, the name change of the Englishman Dan Holmes into Mr. PlayStation 2 is perhaps the craziest. His immense love for the console encouraged him to officially change his name two years after the PS2 release.

35. The Hitman Edition PlayStation 4 is the rarest version of the console.

(TheGamer)

The Sony PlayStation facts that we discovered include a tidbit about a unique PlayStation 4 in the form of a briefcase with controllers made to resemble the silver handguns found in-game.

Other rare and unique PS4s include the PlayStation 4 Pro Spider-Man VIP Kit (which includes the game, several comics and a specially themed console) and the PS4 500 Million Edition (which came in a cool translucent blue colour).

36. A French teenager “bought” a PlayStation 4 for only £8.

(Daily Mail)

When listing interesting facts about PlayStation 4, we must include the story about the most creative attempt to steal one.

After picking up the console from the shelf, this French youngster went to the fruit department, where he weighed it as part of a huge bag of fruit. Then he simply placed the “new” price tag on the console and proceeded to the cash register.

He would have gotten away with it if he hadn’t gone back to the same shop the next day to repeat his con. He was sentenced to four months in prison.

Related: Minecraft Statistics and Facts you should know

37. The PS2 logo can be rotated to align with the orientation of the console.

(Game Rant)

Our list of fun PlayStation facts also includes this gem: With the PS2, Sony released the first vertical-standing console on the market. In addition, the PS2 had one hidden feature that many believed was a flaw.

Namely, its logo could be turned 90 degrees so it displays properly whether the console was set vertically or horizontally.

38. You can stream from your PS4 to Twitch or YouTube by linking your accounts.

(Businessinsider)

You can link your PS4 account to your Twitch account and stream from there. After it’s connected, just hit the PlayStation 4’s Share button and select “Broadcast Gameplay.”

Logging Out

The PlayStation statistics and various facts outlined above take you through the brand’s journey of becoming today’s indispensable gaming platform.

Sources:

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