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PlayStation 5 is outpacing the PlayStation 4 in terms of consoles shipped. Through the end of March, Sony has sold 7.8 million PS5s into the retail supply chain, according to its most recent financial filings. Sony shipped 7.6 million PS4 consoles through the same period following that console’s 2013 launch. For the quarter, Sony was able to produce and ship 3.3 million PS5s. And while these numbers only refer to consoles sold to retailers, consumers are buying every available PS5 as demand is far greater than supply.
Sony predicted it would ship 7.6 million PS5s through the end of its fiscal year, so it is also staying ahead of that figure. The company expects to ship even more consoles in future quarters as manufacturing efficiency improves. That should go a long way toward meeting the hunger for the newest consoles.
While the PS5 is off to a record launch, the PS4 coasted on its momentum. Sony shipped 1 million PS4 systems during the quarter. That is down from 1.4 million during the same period in the previous year.
The PS5 was one of the main contributors to a March record for hardware spending in the United States. In the U.S., PS5 is the fastest-selling console through a five-month launch period.
These sales figures emphasize that the biggest issue with finding a PS5 isn’t the limited supply. Sony doesn’t have some historic dearth of hardware compared to other console launches. The problem is more people are looking to get new hardware than usual, and that is a sign of health for both PlayStation and the wider industry.
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