Sony confirms incredible PlayStation 2 sales milestone

On November 26, Sony announced that its second console, PlayStation 2has sold more than 160 million units worldwide since its launch in 2000. Although the PlayStation 2 (PS2) has not been on the market for more than a decade, it remains the best-selling video game console of all time, although the Nintendo Switch remains close behind.

Originally released in 2000, the PS2 replaced the original PlayStation and was successful from the start. Along with releasing games that showed a large generational leap between the PS2 and PS1, the PS2 was also backwards compatible with most PS1 games, controllers and memory cards. The PS2 was powered by the Emotion Engine, a collaboration between Sony and Toshiba. With an original launch MSRP of $299, the PS2 was also considered an affordable DVD movie player when the format was relatively new. Four years after its release, the PS2 received a slimmer revision known as the PS2 Slim.

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More than two decades since the PS2 took the world by storm, Sony has revealed how many units of its sixth-generation console have been sold. According to the Sony PlayStation History Blog, the PS2 has sold more than 160 million consoles worldwide since its launch in 2000, up from a previously established total of 158.3 million. The new total applies to all PS2 units, including the PS2 Slim, sold during its lifetime. The staggering PS2 sales figures were confirmed by former Sony president and CEO Jim Ryan in March 2024, around the time of his retirement. Ryan oversaw the launch of the PS2 and other Sony products. Although Sony continued to produce PS2 units until 2013, the same year the PS4 was launched, the PS2 released over 4,000 titles in its lifetime and launched series such as God of War and Ratchet and Clank which still appear today.

Sony PS2 sold a record 160 million units

• Sony said that the PlayStation 2 has sold over 160 million units worldwide since its launch in 2000.
• The new total was previously claimed by former CEO Jim Ryan, who retired in March 2024.
• The milestone of 160 million units is an increase from the previous figure of 158.3 million.
• Although the PS2 currently holds the top spot, the Nintendo Switch is not far behind with 146 million units sold.

At the time of writing, the PS2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time, but another challenger is not far behind. The Nintendo Switch has sold over 146 million units since its release in March 2017, making it roughly 14 million units since it overtook the PS2. Switch sales figures included both Switch Lite and OLED variants. With Nintendo working on an as-yet-unrevealed successor to the Switch, its hybrid console remains on pace to overtake the PS2 soon.

Although the PS2 has since been discontinued, titles like Silent Hill 2 have been redesigned for the PS5 and PS5 Pro. All in all, the PS2 legacy remains strong in the hearts of gamers around the world.

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 was Sony's direct “sequel” to the original PlayStation and is one of the best-selling and most popular consoles of all time. With a catalog of amazing games, it stood strong against the GameCube and Xbox in the sixth generation console wars.

Mark

Sony

Original release date

October 26, 2000

Original MSRP (USD)

$299, £299

Weight

4.85 lbs