PS5 Tops US Sales Charts in March, Surpasses PS4 Sales on Time-Aligned Basis

If Sony’s announcements of new sales milestones haven’t been a clue, the PlayStation 5 is a very successful console. After outpacing sales numbers of the PS3 and PS4 in Japan, it seems to have out-sold the latter on a time-aligned basis in the United States, according to Mat Piscatella, formerly of The NPD Group and executive director at Circana.

Essentially, comparing the first 29 months after both consoles launch, the PS5’s sales are now higher than the PS4. Lifetime sales could always be lower, but given how it was the best-selling platform in March 2023 in terms of units and dollar sales, it’s looking unlikely. It’s also the best-selling console in both categories for 2023 to date.

Compared to March 2022, spending on video game hardware is up by 10 percent at $566 million. It’s the second-highest amount for March in US history, only trailing behind March 2021 ($680 million). At $1.5 billion, hardware spending year-to-date is also 21 percent higher than last year.

Video game hardware spending increased 10% when compared to March 2022, reaching $566 million. This is the second highest video game hardware spend for a March month in U.S. history, trailing only the $680 million reached in March 2021.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 19, 2023

Growth in PlayStation 5 hardware spending once again drove the March hardware gains. PlayStation 5 was the best-selling hardware platform in units and dollars for both March as well as 2023 year-to-date.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 19, 2023

PlayStation 5 hardware unit sales have now surpassed those of PlayStation 4 on a time-aligned basis (29 months in market).

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 19, 2023

Year-to-date hardware spending is now 21% higher when compared to the same period in 2022, at $1.5 billion.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 19, 2023