PS5 consoles hit 7.8 million sales, breaking Sony's previous records

(Image credit: Future)

The Sony PlayStation 5 is breaking sales records with 7.8 million consoles sold as of March 31st. 2021. In Sony's latest earnings report, the game console makers shared that Sony PlayStation Plus subscriptions are now over 47.6 million, which is a 14.7% increase.

Thanks to the PS5 selling at breakneck speeds, Sony's fourth-quarter profits soared to over $3.14 billion for 2020, which was a record for Sony. The tech giant's last earnings report stated that the company had shipped 4/5 million PS5's globally in 2020 at an average of 3.3 million units shipped from January to March.

Those numbers seem huge and show Sony has been pushing its manufacturing capacity, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused shortages of every kind in tech production globally. Even at 3.3 million units shipped per week during that time, Sony has struggled to keep up with demand as you would have an easier time finding a unicorn shopping for an Xbox than a PS5.

Earlier this month, Mat Piscatella, the NPD's executive director and video game industry advisor, reported that the PS5 is the fastest-selling console in U.S. history since it hit the market. However, for the first quarter of 2021, the Nintendo Switch has dominated the U.S. market, selling more units, possibly because it's been tough to find a PS5 in stores or online.

Sony, interestingly enough, also shipped one million PS4 consoles in the last quarter, which brings the total number since its release to 115.9 million. I guess settling for a PS4 isn't so bad for now but, try convincing your kid (or adult gamer) of this. All of this is fun and wonderful news. Now, if only game studios could actually deliver games that work as they're supposed to or are actually completed before they start selling them, the world would be a happy place.

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.