Sony’s PlayStation 5 is approaching another massive milestone, with worldwide shipments reaching 97.9 million units as of September 30, 2026. The latest figures come from Sony’s Q2 FY2026 financial results, released on November 5.
With just 2.1 million more units needed to reach 100 million, the PS5 could cross the milestone during the upcoming holiday season. However, while overall shipments continue to grow, Sony reported a noticeable decline in quarterly hardware sales compared to last year.
Despite slowing console sales, PlayStation’s gaming business continues to perform well, with stronger software sales, increasing digital purchases, and 127 million monthly active users.
In Brief:
- PS5 lifetime shipments: Sony has shipped 97.9 million PlayStation 5 consoles worldwide as of September 30, 2026.
- Quarterly console sales: Sony shipped 2.6 million PS5 units in Q2 FY2026, down 35% from 4 million during the same quarter last year.
- 100 million milestone: The PS5 needs approximately 2.1 million additional shipments to cross 100 million worldwide.
- PlayStation ecosystem grows: Sony reported 88.2 million software units sold and 127 million monthly active PlayStation users.
PS5 Lifetime Sales Reach 97.9 Million Worldwide
According to Sony’s latest financial report, the PlayStation 5 has now shipped 97.9 million consoles worldwide since launching in November 2020.
The new figure includes 2.6 million PS5 units shipped during the July to September 2026 quarter, bringing Sony closer to one of the biggest milestones in the console’s history.
At the end of March 2026, lifetime PS5 shipments stood at 93.7 million units. Sony then shipped another 1.6 million consoles between April and June, followed by 2.6 million in the latest quarter.
Here is how PS5 shipments have progressed over the years:
| Date | Cumulative PS5 Shipments |
|---|---|
| March 31, 2021 | 7.8 million |
| March 31, 2022 | 19.3 million |
| March 31, 2023 | 38.4 million |
| March 31, 2024 | 59.2 million |
| March 31, 2025 | 77.7 million |
| March 31, 2026 | 93.7 million |
| September 30, 2026 | 97.9 million |
It is worth mentioning that Sony reports these figures as sell-in shipments, meaning consoles shipped to retailers rather than necessarily sold directly to consumers.
Nevertheless, with nearly 98 million consoles shipped, the PS5 has established itself as one of PlayStation’s most successful hardware generations.
The console has already surpassed the lifetime shipments of the PlayStation 3, which reached approximately 87.4 million units.
Its next major milestone is the original PlayStation, which shipped more than 102.4 million units worldwide.
PS5 Console Sales Decline 35% Compared to Last Year
Although the PlayStation 5 is closing in on 100 million shipments, Sony’s latest report also reveals that hardware sales are slowing down.
During Q2 FY2026, Sony shipped 2.6 million PS5 consoles, compared to 4 million units during the same quarter in FY2025.
That represents a year-over-year decline of approximately 35%.
The decline is also noticeable when comparing the first six months of the two fiscal years.
During the first half of FY2025, Sony shipped 6.5 million PS5 consoles. In comparison, the company shipped only 4.2 million units during the first half of FY2026.
Here is a breakdown of the quarterly numbers:
| Period | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (April–June) | 2.5 million | 1.6 million |
| Q2 (July–September) | 4.0 million | 2.6 million |
| First-half total | 6.5 million | 4.2 million |
The slowdown isn’t particularly surprising considering the PS5 is approaching its sixth anniversary.
Console hardware sales often decline as a generation matures, especially after the early adoption period and major hardware revisions.
However, Sony’s latest figures also show that the company is shipping fewer consoles than it did during the same period last year.
Interestingly, the slowdown in hardware hasn’t stopped PlayStation’s broader gaming business from growing.
PS5 Could Reach 100 Million Shipments During the Holiday Season
With lifetime shipments currently sitting at 97.9 million, Sony needs to ship approximately 2.1 million additional consoles to reach the 100 million milestone.
That target could be achieved during the October to December 2026 holiday quarter.
Historically, the holiday season has been one of PlayStation’s strongest periods for hardware sales.
For example, Sony shipped 7.9 million PS5 consoles during October to December 2025, significantly more than the 4 million units shipped in the preceding quarter.
Even if holiday sales are considerably weaker this year, Sony would only need to ship 2.1 million additional consoles to cross 100 million worldwide.
However, Sony has not officially confirmed when it expects the PS5 to reach the milestone.
The final numbers will depend on holiday demand, retail availability, and hardware purchasing trends.
PlayStation Game Sales Rise Despite Slower PS5 Hardware Sales
While fewer PlayStation 5 consoles are shipping, Sony’s software business continues to grow.
The company revealed that combined PS4 and PS5 full-game software sales reached 88.2 million units during Q2 FY2026.
That’s an increase of 7.9 million units compared to the 80.3 million games sold during the same quarter last year.
Sony’s first-party games also performed strongly, with sales rising from 6.3 million to 8.2 million units.
The latest results reveal several important trends:
- Total software sales: 88.2 million units, up from 80.3 million.
- First-party software sales: 8.2 million units, up from 6.3 million.
- Digital download ratio: 78%, compared to 72% last year.
- Monthly active PlayStation users: 127 million, up from 119 million.
The increase in digital sales suggests that more PlayStation players are purchasing their games digitally rather than relying on physical copies.
Meanwhile, the growing number of monthly active users shows that PlayStation’s existing audience remains highly engaged, even as hardware shipments slow.
PlayStation Reaches 127 Million Monthly Active Users
Sony also reported another impressive milestone for its gaming ecosystem.
As of September 30, 2026, PlayStation had approximately 127 million monthly active users, an increase of 8 million compared to the same period last year.
This figure represents unique accounts that played games or accessed PlayStation’s online services during the final month of the quarter.
The increase highlights the continued strength of the PlayStation ecosystem, which includes players across multiple console generations.
Sony’s Game & Network Services division also generated approximately 1.21 trillion yen in quarterly revenue, compared to 1.11 trillion yen during the same period last year.
This means PlayStation’s overall gaming business managed to grow despite weaker hardware shipments.
Stronger digital software revenue, network services, and other sources of spending are helping Sony generate more revenue from its existing player base.
