How well is the PlayStation 5 selling? Absurdly well in the United States, according to NPD data. We already know that, across its first four months on the market, it’s the fastest selling system of all-time in dollar terms – but what of units? Well, according to analyst Mat Piscatella, it’s lagging behind the PS4 – by less than one per cent.
“PS5 is a very close (less than one per cent) second in US hardware unit sales after four months in market in NPD tracked history,” he wrote on Twitter. “Statistical dead heat.”
This is obviously a hugely impressive result when you consider that the PS5 costs more – the PS5 Digital Edition matches the PS4’s price of $399.99, but the model including a disc drive retails for $499.99 – and has been heavily supply constrained during a pandemic. Obviously the PS4 was also difficult to find around launch, but it didn’t have coronavirus to contend with.
It’ll be interesting to see how well the PS5 performs once it’s more readily available and the world begins to return to normal. How do you feel about the new console’s sales trajectory? Is Sony onto another winner, or does it have some challenges to navigate this generation? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 29
This is also because the PS4 is almost just as hard to find right now. I’ve seen one or two over this last year. Same with Xbox One’s. No stock issues on Switch’s though.
Ive always managed to get a playstation at launch lol, problem is innattentive people who don't wanna spend effort trying to get one keeps whining about those who actually do spend the effort and time to receive one.
@Itsacardgame Compared to the PS4's first year, not the current year.
Number one victory royal
@Subsided Lazy people?.... Really! What a ridiculous thing to say. I have a job and a family. I spent 3 months trying to get a PS5 before I managed to get one. I spent literally hours and hours of my life wasted on websites in queues but not getting hold of one until last month. It's nothing to do with laziness.
@Subsided elitist nonsense! GTFOHWTBS!
@Subsided not that you care but this was a completely bad take only person being lazy is you posting such nonsense and not thinking before you type
I was lucky enough to get preorder day 1 so your insult didn’t even apply to me but laziness has nothing to do with it
Hopefully, when more units are available, we'll get some feedback and news coverage regarding the baked in ads on the PS5 UI. It is surprising that very few people are bringing up the ads.
@2cents of course it does, you see you paid attention to when it was time to preorder, I paid attention to when they were in stock again, and millions of people have managed to get them, because they actually researched something they were passionate about instead of just hoping it drops into their laps
@Octane thanks, I must have misunderstood that point when I was waiting for my lunch order.
Sony has a winner IF (and that's a big if) they can fix a few major quality of life things with this console, e.g. the availability of the console, duelsense drifting, UI, storage size, M.2 drive usability, etc. They made a great console, but it needs some work and, honestly, could have benefited from being delayed, but time will tell on this one.
First off... Seriously folks, don't feed the trolls.
Second, it's a new gen Sony console. I don't know what could have possibly happened that it wasn't going to sell well at launch. It's doing great but if it's basically matching PS4 unit sales, then I'm still wondering what happened to all this talk from Sony about making more available than any other launch.
@Subsided
Lol! What an @sshat.
I'll probably get it when the new Ratchet and Clank and perhaps even Horizon Forbidden West are out. Right now my PC will handle everything.
@Subsided is being a bit harsh, but more people on this site should have heeded the articles saying to reserve a PS5 pre-order on Shopto back in June. I managed to get a console on day 1 with little effort thanks to that. You can be as "lazy" as you feel if you know where to go.
@Orpheus79V lazy was a bad choice of word, more inattentive is what I meant, early adoption takes some effort though but if you spend that effort then at least in my experience it always pays off
I hope the stock situations is improving soon, with the vaccine already underway I think maybe in the middle of the year ps5 stock will be back to normal.
@Subsided You sound like a f***ing idiot. We're not all 14 year olds who spend their days hitting refresh on browsers so we can get a PS5 on mommy's credit card. A lot of us have jobs and families to support.
Looking at the history of various SKU models of both the PS3 and PS4 it seems Sony release a new revision around 10-12 months after launch.
Given I'm only really interested in the heavyweight First party titles like God of War 2, HZD - Forbidden West and Grand Turismo 7, I think I'll wait.
By the time those games are released, there should hopefully be a new, fresher model of the PS5.
@Subsided This sounds harsh, but I’m not going to lie, I don’t have evidence against it. I got an Xbox at launch no problem. A month later, I decided to get a Ps5. The very first time I attempted it, I got it and picked it up at the Target 2 hrs later. I really had no problem at all getting either of them.
@Saitama117 exactly, you don't prioritize getting one while others do hence why they get them and you don't, it's about spending the effort for something you want, you have different priorities that seem to be along the line of "generic and empty life", other people prioritizes gaming
Probably why Microsoft had to fork over money to buy Bethesda. Sony is sitting pretty selling consoles without effort. The scarcity is the only thing holding them back.
@ATaco Sony got a really nice head start with the PS4 partially due to Microsoft’s ineptitude; to Sony’s credit they were able to extend the gap of dominance throughout most of the last generation. This one is different. Microsoft is coming in throwing the punches and hitting the ground running with Gamepass, Bethesda and other studio acquisitions, and focus on value and mutiplatform deals. Sony has a lead in new gen console sales now, but they really needed to get a huge head start because of Microsoft’s gaining momentum, and they simply are not getting that really large lead that they need because of supply constraints. It’s really unfortunate, because if there wasn’t supply shortages and COVID, can you imagine the sales PS5 would have had? They could have had a comfortable lead. As it stands, I think they are going to struggle much more than last gen to keep pace, as soon as the full repercussions of ZeniMax acquisition and the GamePass model hit the market over the next couple years.
I have many friends waiting to get one. I still check the electronics section of Walmart and Fred Meyers for them every time I’m out and about. Feel extremely fortunate to have got in that first day of pre-orders.
@Th3solution the Series X seems to have been better designed and more thought out. The PS5 seems rushed and the OS feels incomplete.
@BleedingDreamer I will say this. I love my PS5. I feel lucky that I got one at launch but I still stumble to turn it off almost every time. The UI has some strange quirks. It’s practically a mini game finding the off button
I do regret overpaying for my PS5 now, but am still happy I own one and can focus on just playing games again.
@Subsided I have better stuff too do i also work shifts and too be fair i dont want too go out of my way too get one.
Still waiting for a PS5 exclusive that warrants me searching for one.
@get2sammyb I think you're right though - we won't know how well it is doing until it becomes freely available and on the high street (assuming we still have one of those, of course!) And this time it has to contend with a green team that haven't repeatedly shot themselves in the foot.
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