PS2 Achieves Stunning Milestone: Over 160 Million Units Sold, Reinforcing Its Title as the Best-Selling Console of All Time

While Nintendo’s Switch may be closing in, the PlayStation 2 still retains the title of the top-selling console ever – with Sony now confirming that the device has sold an astounding 160 million units since its debut back in March 2000.

This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered this figure; former PlayStation chief Jim Ryan nonchalantly stated that a total of 160 million PlayStation 2s had been sold during a farewell episode of the PlayStation Podcast earlier this year. However, Sony has now updated its PlayStation history page to confirm that number, officially making it legitimate.

The last significant sales milestone for the PlayStation 2 was celebrated back in 2011, when Sony announced the console had exceeded 150 million sales – though it only took one more year for that figure to grow by an additional 5 million. So while sales have undoubtedly decelerated – not particularly surprising since Sony ceased production of the PS2 in January 2013 – the fact that the console has still managed to sell another 5 million units in the intervening time is still quite remarkable.

To provide some context, the PlayStation 5 currently stands at 65 million total sales, while the PS4 has reached 117 million units, the PS3 sits at 87 million, and the PS1 was acquired by 102 million Vib-Ribbon enthusiasts. Nintendo’s DS handheld almost came close to matching the PS2’s previously reported figure, selling 154 million units, but it now lags significantly behind. As for the Switch (currently at 146 million sales), it may still triumph if Switch 2 doesn’t interfere with its progress.

Despite all this competitive talk, 160 million PS2s sold remains an impressive accomplishment, and you can discover more about the console’s success elsewhere on Eurogamer. It’s not Sony’s only significant achievement.