The PlayStation 5 has passed 100 million sales, Sony has confirmed, reaching the milestone almost exactly six years after the console launched — and just days before the arrival of Grand Theft Auto 6. Sony updated its official sales figures on 10 November to show more than 100 million PS5 consoles sold worldwide.

The total stood at 97.9 million on 30 September, according to Sony's second-quarter results, so more than 2.1 million consoles were added in roughly six weeks. The figures are sell-in numbers, counting consoles shipped to retailers rather than ones customers have taken home, which is the same basis Sony uses for every PlayStation console.

A slower climb than the PS4

The PS5 took slightly longer to reach 100 million than its predecessor. The PS4 passed the mark on 30 June 2019, five years and seven months after its launch, and has shipped more than 117 million units over its lifetime. The PS5 is also closing in on the original PlayStation, which sold more than 102.4 million units, but remains well behind the PlayStation 2, the best-selling home console of all time at more than 160 million. Sony says the PS5 is its most profitable console generation ever.

GTA 6 gives sales a final push

The timing is no accident. Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on 19 November, and Sony has confirmed it was the most pre-ordered game in the history of the PlayStation Store. Pre-loading opened on 10 November, and the recent surge in console sales has been linked to players buying a PS5 before the game's release. Polygon also confirmed the milestone from Sony's figures. Reports put the next console, the PS6, in 2028, but Sony has not announced a launch date.