During Sony's Investor Relations Day in May, the company revealed its expectations for PS5 sales. Sony went so far as to claim that the PS5 will lead the company's best-selling console year ever in 2022, which would require beating the PS1's 22.6 million units sold in 1998. This is no small feat considering it's a record that remains unbeaten.
The company also hopes 2021 will be the company's strongest ever year. This would mean beating the PS4's 14.8 million units sold in 2014. A recent report from Finbold suggests the PS5 has 8.6 million units sold overall so far. This is a successful start considering the semiconductor shortage, but it's still far off from Sony's goal.
However, there's no denying the demand for the PS5 is high. Sony is selling the console as fast as it can list them. Beating the PS4's 14.8 million units sold in its second year would be largely dependent on the company producing 14.8 million units to actually sell.
Due to the PS5's excellent start, which has presented players with a mix of great hardware, compelling exclusive games, and a promising lineup of upcoming titles, it's possible the console meets Sony's expectations for 2022. People are desperate for a PS5, and if this high demand remains consistent throughout the generation, it could even surpass the PS4's 115.9 total units sold.
Sony also provided a couple of other reasons why the PS5 will be as successful as these predictions suggest. The percentage of women PlayStation owners has increased from 18% with the PS1, up to 41% with the PS4/PS5. Additionally, Sony has been selling the console more frequently in opportunity markets.
