Sony shipped 4.5 million PS5 units in 2020, equalling the PS4 launch

Sony shipped 4.5 million PS5 units in 2020, matching the launch of the PS4.

These figures, which were shared in Sony's Q3 FY2020 report, are the first official numbers on the PS5 following its worldwide launch in November 2020.

The report mentions that, while there was a "loss resulting from strategic price points for the PS5 hardware that were set lower than manufacturing costs", Sony is still on track to hit its forecasted target of 7.6 million units shipped by March 31, 2021.

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In comparison, when the PS4 launched in 2013, it sold roughly around the same number of units, clocking in at 4.2 million over the same period. Sony also confirmed that, as of 2020, the PS4 has now reached 115 million worldwide shipments.

Speaking of the PS4, the report notes that from November to December 2020, the PS4 shipped 1.4 million units, which saw "higher profit margins" in hardware costs. 

While the PS5 launch was tumultuous at best, with PS5 stock shortages still stopping people from securing the system, those lucky people who managed to grab one have been enjoying the benefits.

Another big figure revealed during Sony's report is that Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales sold around 4.1 million units, almost rivaling the number of PS5 consoles shipped, although that did have the luxury of launching for both PS4 and PS5. 

Sony's online service, PlayStation Plus, also hit a new high in subscriber count which reaching 47.4 million, going on to note that 87 per-cent of PS5 users are subscribed to PlayStation Plus.

For more on PlayStation, check out your own PlayStation 2020 Wrap-Up report which gives you a breakdown of how much time you spent gaming on your PS4 and PS5.