The PS5 has officially crossed the four million units milestone in the UK, but it’s achieved it 31 weeks slower than its predecessor, the PS4. There’s crucial context here that needs to be observed, however: the PS5 wasn’t readily available for the first two years of the generation, as the aftermath of the pandemic prompted an unprecedented semiconductor shortage, which meant stock was limited. It also costs a helluva lot more than its predecessors.
Indeed, when you look at the actual numbers, you can see just how much price is playing a part here. The average selling price of the PS5 so far is an enormous £460, compared to the £204 of the PS2, the £311 of the PS4, and the £146 of the PS1. It took the PS2 just 114 weeks to hit four million, while it took the PS4 and PS1 approximately 161 weeks and 182 weeks respectively. The PS5, by comparison, took 192 weeks.
Here’s all the data, provided by GfK, as reported by Games Industry.biz:
| Position | Format | Weeks to 4m | Revenue | Average Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nintendo Wii | 102 | £721m | £178 |
| 2 | PS2 | 114 | £817m | £204 |
| 3 | PS4 | 161 | £1.26bn | £311 |
| 4 | PS1 | 182 | £585m | £146 |
| 5 | PS5 | 192 | £1.846bn | £460 |
| 6 | Xbox 360 | 193 | £843m | £211 |
| 7 | Nintendo Switch | 203 | £1.07bn | £267 |
| 8 | PS3 | 210 | £1.15bn | £288 |
| 9 | Xbox One | 211 | £1.22bn | £305 |
With the higher average price, the PS5 has generated more revenue than any other system to hit the milestone, bringing in a whopping £1.846 billion revenue. That’s more than double the Nintendo Wii at the same sales point. Of course, the margins are still razor thin for Sony, and it’s struggling to get the costs down sufficiently to introduce a price drop.