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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Sony’s PlayStation anniversary-history page says the PlayStation 2 has sold over 160 million consoles worldwide since 2000. That is Sony’s stated milestone—not an exact final count. Whether it makes the PS2 the best-selling console depends on which source and measurement you use.
What is Sony’s PS2 sales update?
Sony’s anniversary-history page describes the PS2 as “one of the biggest-selling video game consoles of all time” and reports over 160,000,000 consoles sold worldwide since 2000. Sony does not give a more precise total on that page, so the figure should be reported as “over 160 million,” not as an exact 160 million or a more specific number.
Why do PS2 sales figures differ?
The totals were published by different sources at different times and with different reporting contexts. They should not be treated as competing measurements of one identically defined final count.
| Figure | Source and date | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Over 160 million worldwide | Sony PlayStation anniversary history, 2024 | Sony’s qualified public milestone; no exact count is stated. |
| 150 million worldwide | Sony Computer Entertainment, February 14, 2011 | Cumulative sales as of January 31, 2011; Sony said the milestone came 10 years and 11 months after the PS2 launched in Japan. |
| 157.68 million | Guinness World Records | Guinness’s sixth-generation console record entry, spanning the PS2’s March 4, 2000 release to its January 4, 2013 discontinuation. |
There was also a public reporting mismatch in 2024. On November 26, Gematsu noted that Sony’s anniversary-history site listed 160 million while a separate Sony business-data page still listed 155 million. That comparison documents what the pages said at that time; it does not explain the intervening sales or establish an exact final ledger.
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Is the PS2 the best-selling console in history?
Sony’s own wording calls it “one of the biggest-selling” consoles, rather than declaring it the undisputed number one. Its over-160-million statement is compelling evidence of its scale, but the sources here do not provide a like-for-like comparison across every console maker and reporting method. Guinness’s 157.68-million record entry uses a different figure and a defined record period. The careful conclusion is that the PS2 is among the most successful consoles ever, with Sony now publicly stating sales of over 160 million worldwide.
When comparing console-sales records, check the publisher, date or period, geography, and whether the number is exact or qualified. Also distinguish sales from shipments: Sony’s 2011 release footnotes its 150-million figure as sell-in, while the anniversary page says consoles sold worldwide and Guinness presents a record entry.
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What else did Sony report about the PS2?
Sony’s February 2011 announcement offers a snapshot of the platform beyond hardware. It reported more than 10,828 PS2 software titles and more than 1.52 billion software units sold worldwide, with the latter figure reported as of the end of December 2011. The release also described the console’s DVD playback capability and named accessories including the DUALSHOCK 2 and EyeToy USB Camera. These are documented platform facts, not proof of what caused its lifetime sales.
The PS2’s North American milestone was reported separately: John Koller, then vice president of PlayStation brand marketing at SIEA, wrote in a January 15, 2009 PlayStation Blog post that the console had passed 50 million units sold in North America in December 2008.
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