Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that the PlayStation 5 has achieved a massive new sales milestone, with the total number of units sold to consumers reaching 50 million as of December 9. This counts systems sold worldwide, and it bears repeating that this is a "sold-through" number, not a "shipped" figure.

SIE boss Jim Ryan, who is retiring in 2024, said the sales result is "a testament to the unwavering support of the global PlayStation community and their passion for the incredible experiences created by the talented developers from PlayStation Studios and our partners."

Unlike in past years, the PS5 should be in "full supply" this holiday season, Ryan pointed out.

SIE said PS5 sales volumes have been helped by the recent launch of Spider-Man 2. November 2023 was, in fact, the "biggest November" for total PlayStation consoles sold through to consumers in the history of the brand.

Additionally, the PS5 needed 161 weeks to sell 50 million consoles, while the PS4 reached that mark after 160 weeks, according to IGN.

Microsoft does not announce Xbox sales numbers, making comparisons difficult, but it's generally understood that PlayStation 5 is handily outselling Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is the current market leader, though, with more than 132 million consoles sold since it launched in 2017. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S launched in November 2020.

With the PS5 selling 50 million units, that also means the pack-in game Astro's Playroom has shifted at least that many copies as well, it seems.

In other PS5 news, you can check out your 2023 PlayStation gaming stats here.

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