As the Switch Closes in, Sony Confirms PS2 Sold 160 Million Units 1
Image: Push Square

For over a decade, the PS2’s official sales total sat at 155 million units, as Sony stopped reporting sales of the system in 2012. It was always assumed the final number was higher, as the console wasn’t officially discontinued until a year later, and there would have been leftover inventory that filtered its way into the retail chain. But we never knew the final figure until recently.

In an off-the-cuff comment during the Official PlayStation Podcast, ex-CEO Jim Ryan said the system had sold 160 million units, and that number’s now been confirmed as part of a 30th Anniversary retrospective on the brand’s website.

“PS2 is one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, with over 160 million units sold worldwide since 2000,” the infographic reads.

The number is pertinent, because the Nintendo Switch had been closing in. As of 30th September, the Mario maker had shipped 146 million units of its hybrid hardware. With this relatively new number released by Sony, it’ll need to shift another 14 million units to take the crown.

To be honest, that total still seems achievable. While the Switch is naturally beginning to slow down in its twilight years, we reckon it’ll continue to sell steadily after its successor is introduced, which many are expecting next year.

In fact, based on forecasts alone, the company expects the Switch to top 154 million units by April 2025, which would put it just six million units behind the PS2 at that point. Assuming it achieves these targets, we think it’s inevitable the Sony system will eventually be dethroned.

[source playstation.com]