PlayStation 5 outsold Xbox Series X/S 3-to-1 in 2023, oof

New data reveals that the PlayStation 5 outsold the Xbox Series X/S by three to one in 2023, with Black Friday proving to be an enormous success for Sony.

Before we dive in, please leave your console wars nonsense at the door. In this house, we stan all consoles. I happily hop between my PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Nintendo Switch, taking enormous joy from all three. That being said, it’s interesting to dive into the sales figures. It’s an intriguing reflection of the types of games, features, and experiences that are appealing to consumers. This year, it’s the PlayStation 5 that’s caught the eye of gamers despite it being a somewhat quiet year for Sony.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was undeniably 2023’s standout PlayStation 5 release.

As reported by IGN, the PlayStation 5 has now sold over a whopping 50 million units putting it on track to outsell the PlayStation 4. New data from Reuters adds that Sony had its best ever November for PlayStation 5 sales this year, with Black Friday proving to be incredibly lucrative. By the end of the financial year finishing on 31 March 2024, Sony hopes to shift 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles - something it believes it’s on track for.

If this was achieved, it would mark the most consoles Sony has ever sold in a financial year. It’s going to be a little while before the PlayStation 5 catches up with the PlayStation 4’s 117 million sales, but Sony is optimistic. Data analysts Ampere found that PS5 sales grew by 65% to 22.5 million units this year. Xbox sales fell by about 15% to 7.6 million, with the PS5 therefore outselling the Series X/S by around three to one.

The Nintendo Switch also saw a sales fall, dropping 18% to around 16.4 million units shifted this year. As the oldest console mentioned here, it’s likely that the Switch will be the next in line to get a successor. It’ll be interesting to see what 2024 brings.