The PlayStation 5 is just turning five (I know, what is time?), and as the console celebrates such a milestone, Sony has revealed how it's doing compared to its predecessor. Quite well, is the answer, as sales of the system are remarkably close to those of the PlayStation 4 when it was at the same stage.
During the financial results call for the second quarter of 2025 (thanks, VGC), Sony includes a comparison of sales between the PS5 and PS4. By all available metrics, they've been incredibly close through the PS5's lifespan thus far, with Sony's current system having now shifted around 84.2 million units.
At this same point for the PS4, it had sold 86 million systems. Taking into consideration difficulties from launching during Covid-19 lockdowns and a relatively high price point, less than two million separating the consoles is a slim margin.
The gap is expected to widen through the current financial year, ending on March 31, 2026, as the PlayStation 5 is projected to sell 15 million units, a bit short of the PS4's 17.8 million units for the same time period. However, the eventual launch of GTA 6 is expected to slow the gap once again.
Rockstar's blockbuster sequel recently suffered another delay, moving from May 2026 to November of the same year, no doubt impacting all sorts of hardware sales projections and expectations. Marvel's Wolverine, a Sony exclusive, is expected around the same period, further bolstering the PS5's offerings for that holiday season.
Whether the PS5 can top the PS4's lifetime sales of 117 million is another question. With Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2, not to mention Saros, the latest game from Returnal studio Housemarque coming in March 2026, and Phantom Blade Zero still expected sometime through that year, the PlayStation 5's offerings have continued to be strong nonetheless.
