Key Takeaways
- Sony has confirmed that PlayStation 5 shipments surpassed 100 million units worldwide on November 10, 2026, just two days before the console’s sixth anniversary.
- The milestone represents sell-in shipments to retailers, not 100 million confirmed purchases by consumers.
- PS5 shipments reached 2.6 million during FY2026 Q2, compared to 4 million in the same quarter last year, representing a 35% decline.
- Annual PS5 shipments have fallen from 20.8 million in FY2023 to 16 million in FY2025.
- Repeated price increases have made the console more expensive, although Sony says hardware demand has remained strong despite the adjustments.
- Sony’s PlayStation business continues to generate strong revenue through software, digital purchases, and network services.
PlayStation 5 has officially crossed another major milestone, with Sony confirming that the console has shipped more than 100 million units worldwide. The achievement came on November 10, 2026, almost six years after the PS5 originally launched on November 12, 2020. Considering the console’s difficult launch period, which included a global pandemic, supply shortages, and several price increases, reaching this milestone is still a considerable achievement for Sony.
However, the celebration comes with a slightly worrying development. While the PS5 has managed to cross 100 million shipments, its hardware sales have been declining over the past few fiscal years. Sony’s latest financial report shows that the console shipped just 2.6 million units during the second quarter of FY2026, compared to 4 million during the same period last year.
That represents a 35% year-over-year decline and makes it the weakest second quarter for PS5 shipments since the console launched. With the console becoming increasingly expensive in several markets, Sony will need to find ways to maintain hardware demand while continuing to generate revenue from its existing PlayStation audience.
PS5 Officially Crosses 100 Million Console Shipments
Sony has updated its official Business Data and Sales page, confirming that the PlayStation 5 has surpassed 100 million units shipped worldwide as of November 10, 2026. The milestone arrived just two days before the console’s sixth anniversary, making it a significant moment for the current PlayStation generation.
There is one important detail worth understanding, though. Sony’s figures represent sell-in shipments, meaning the number of consoles shipped to retailers rather than the number actually purchased by consumers. The total number of PS5 systems currently sitting in people’s homes will therefore be different from the reported 100 million figure.
Nevertheless, the achievement puts the PS5 among the most successful gaming consoles ever released. It has also brought Sony considerably closer to the lifetime figures of its previous systems.
For comparison, the PlayStation 4 has shipped more than 117 million units, while the original PlayStation reached approximately 102.4 million units. The PS5 now needs only a few million additional shipments to surpass the original console’s lifetime total.
The PS4 reached the 100 million milestone in June 2019, approximately five years and seven months after its launch. The PS5 has taken roughly four months longer to achieve the same result, despite facing considerably different market conditions throughout its lifecycle.
Players and analysts can check the latest figures directly through Sony’s official PlayStation Business Data and Sales page, which also includes historical shipment information for previous PlayStation consoles.
PS5 Hardware Sales Have Dropped by 35% in the Latest Quarter
Although crossing 100 million shipments is undoubtedly good news for Sony, the company’s latest financial figures show why the milestone isn’t the entire story.
According to Sony’s FY2026 Q2 financial report, the PlayStation 5 shipped 2.6 million units between July and September 2026. During the same three-month period in FY2025, the company shipped 4 million consoles.
That means Sony shipped approximately 1.4 million fewer PS5 systems compared to the previous year’s second quarter. The decline is particularly noticeable because the current result is the lowest Q2 shipment figure recorded since the console’s launch.
Here is how PS5 hardware shipments have changed across recent fiscal years:
- FY2022: 19.1 million units.
- FY2023: 20.8 million units.
- FY2024: 18.5 million units.
- FY2025: 16 million units.
- FY2026 Q1: 1.6 million units.
- FY2026 Q2: 2.6 million units.
The figures show that PS5 hardware shipments peaked during FY2023 before declining over the following two fiscal years. The current fiscal year hasn’t started particularly strongly either, with Sony shipping a combined 4.2 million consoles during its first two quarters, compared to 6.5 million during the same period last year.
Interestingly, the second quarter was still better than the first quarter of FY2026, which recorded only 1.6 million shipments. That first-quarter result was the second-lowest quarterly shipment figure in the console’s history, narrowly avoiding the bottom spot occupied by the 1.5 million units shipped during Q4 of FY2025.
Unless shipments recover significantly during the remaining two quarters, FY2026 could become another disappointing year for PS5 hardware sales. However, the upcoming holiday season and the arrival of major releases could change the situation.
Repeated PS5 Price Increases Could Be Affecting Console Demand
One possible factor behind the declining hardware numbers is the increasing cost of purchasing a PlayStation 5. Sony has raised the recommended retail prices of its consoles several times since their original release, with price adjustments affecting different regions at different points.
In August 2022, Sony increased PS5 prices across several international markets, citing global inflation and currency fluctuations. The company subsequently introduced additional increases in selected European markets, Australia, and New Zealand in April 2025, followed by a $50 increase across US PS5 models in August 2025.
The situation became even more interesting in 2026, when Sony announced another global price adjustment affecting the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal. Effective April 2, 2026, the recommended US prices increased to $649.99 for the standard PS5, $599.99 for the Digital Edition, and $899.99 for the PS5 Pro.
For comparison, the standard PS5 originally launched in the US for $499.99, while the Digital Edition cost $399.99. The difference has become difficult to ignore, particularly for players who were expecting current-generation consoles to become cheaper as the hardware aged.
While Sony hasn’t identified higher prices as the sole reason behind declining shipments, repeated increases have clearly made purchasing a PS5 more expensive for new customers.
Interestingly, Sony executives offered a relatively positive assessment of hardware demand during the company’s November 5 earnings Q&A. Management stated that both sell-in and sell-through had maintained strong momentum despite the price adjustments, while also acknowledging that new hardware unit sales would gradually decline as the console cycle progresses.
GTA 6 Could Give PS5 Sales a Much-Needed Boost
There is still one particularly important release that could change the PS5’s hardware performance during the second half of FY2026. Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, and its enormous popularity could encourage players who haven’t purchased a current-generation console to finally make the jump.
Rockstar Games’ upcoming open-world adventure is one of the most anticipated releases in gaming history. Sony itself acknowledged the potential impact of GTA 6 during its latest earnings discussion, with an investor asking whether the game could encourage consumers to purchase new PS5 systems or upgrade from their existing consoles.
Management said it expects GTA 6 to contribute to the business over multiple fiscal years, much like previous entries in the franchise. That doesn’t guarantee a specific increase in console shipments, but it highlights how important Rockstar’s upcoming release could be for Sony’s gaming business.
GTA 6’s reported pre-order performance also suggests that demand is enormous. According to Sensor Tower estimates, the game has already accumulated approximately 9.69 million digital pre-orders, potentially generating around $942 million before release.
For more details, check out our coverage of GTA 6’s reported 9.69 million pre-orders and its record-breaking performance.
Whether those pre-orders translate into a significant increase in PS5 hardware sales should become clearer when Sony publishes its next financial results.
Sony’s PlayStation Business Is Still Making Plenty of Money
The declining PS5 shipment figures don’t necessarily mean Sony’s entire gaming business is struggling. In fact, the company’s latest financial results show that its Game and Network Services segment has continued to perform well despite weaker hardware sales.
During FY2026 Q2, Sony’s Game and Network Services division generated approximately 1.2085 trillion yen in revenue, representing a 9% increase compared to the 1.1132 trillion yen recorded during the same quarter in FY2025.
Operating income also increased substantially, reaching approximately 220.1 billion yen compared to 120.4 billion yen a year earlier. Sony attributed the improvement to several factors, including stronger software and network services sales, favourable currency movements, and the absence of certain impairment and development-cost expenses recorded during the previous year’s quarter.
Hardware revenue itself declined because of lower unit shipments, but the wider business benefited from continued spending on games, downloadable content, and online services.
Sony also reported 127 million monthly active PlayStation users across PS4 and PS5 as of September 30, 2026, compared to 119 million during the corresponding quarter of FY2025. This shows that the PlayStation ecosystem continues to attract substantial activity even as individual console shipments slow down.
The company has increasingly focused on generating more revenue from its existing audience through digital purchases, subscriptions, additional content, and other services. This is also reflected in the continued importance of PlayStation Plus, with Sony introducing additional subscription perks and benefits to keep users engaged. You can read more about those changes in our coverage of the new PlayStation Plus perks and the resulting community reaction.
First-party releases also remain important to Sony’s overall gaming strategy. Games such as God of War Ragnarök have demonstrated how successful PlayStation Studios titles can generate substantial revenue over time. Our report on God of War Ragnarök becoming PlayStation Studios’ highest-grossing game provides another example of the company’s focus beyond hardware sales.
Can PS5 Eventually Surpass the PlayStation 4?
With more than 100 million shipments already recorded, the PS5 has established itself as another major success for Sony. However, reaching the lifetime total of the PlayStation 4 remains a much bigger challenge.
The PS4 has shipped more than 117 million consoles, leaving the PS5 approximately 17 million units behind. That gap isn’t impossible to overcome, particularly with another major holiday season and several years of potential hardware sales still ahead.
However, there are also reasons to be cautious. The console has already experienced two consecutive years of declining annual shipments, and its current fiscal-year performance is weaker than the previous year’s pace.
GTA 6 could provide the hardware sales boost Sony needs, especially among players who have delayed purchasing a PS5 until Rockstar’s next major release. On the other hand, the console’s increasing price could discourage some potential buyers, particularly in markets where gaming hardware has become considerably more expensive.
For now, the 100 million milestone is worth celebrating. The PS5 has overcome years of supply problems, economic uncertainty, and changing market conditions to become one of Sony’s most successful consoles. But with hardware shipments slowing down, its next challenge will be maintaining that momentum rather than simply relying on its impressive install base.
Sony’s latest figures also show that the company is increasingly comfortable generating revenue from its existing PlayStation audience rather than depending entirely on selling more consoles. With GTA 6 approaching and the holiday season underway, the next few quarters should provide a much clearer picture of where the PS5 stands in the second half of its lifecycle.
For the complete financial breakdown, players and industry watchers can consult Sony’s official FY2026 Q2 earnings reports.
