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PlayStation 2, the best-selling gaming console of all time, turns 20

As the next generation of video game consoles keeps on turning up everywhere in the world, the best-selling console of all time turns 20 this year. On March 4, 2000, Sony released the PlayStation 2 in Japan, before bringing it to eagerly-waiting gamers around the world. Upon its birth, the PS2 was an instant hit. To take note, it remained popular for a very long time as well.

PlayStation 2, the best-selling gaming console of all time, turns 20 | Good Guy Gadgets

Even though its successor, the PlayStation 3, arrived two years after, the PlayStation 2 remained in production until 2013 as an affordable entry-level system. According to official figures from Sony, the company sold more than 155 million PS2 units since its launch, making it the most successful video game console by a wide margin.

As the following chart shows1, Sony has been dominating the gaming landscape for the past twenty and a half years, claiming four of the top five spots in the gaming hall of fame.

Console Estimated lifetime unit sales2
PlayStation 2 (PS2) 155.0m
PlayStation 4 (PS4) 108.9m
PlayStation (PS) 102.5m
Wii 101.6m
PlayStation 3 (PS3) 87.4m
XBOX 360 85.8m
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) 61.9m
Nintendo Switch 52.5m
Super Nintendo Entertainment System 49.1m
XBOX ONE 46.5m
Nintendo 64 32.9m
Sega GENESIS 29.5m

PlayStation 2, the best-selling gaming console of all time, turns 20 | Good Guy Gadgets

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Both Sony and Microsoft are currently approaching the end of the PS4 and Xbox One lifecycle. Both companies have confirmed the launch of their next-generation consoles in time for this year’s holiday season; the next PlayStation will simply be called PS5, and the next Xbox will be named Project Scarlett.

Footnotes

  1. Source: Company reports; VGChartz
  2. as of December 31, 2019; excluding sales of re-released classic editions