It has been five years since the PS5 was released, and here are the statistics it has accumulated during this time frame.
There is still a long way to go before we see the next generation of PlayStation consoles, the PS6, which is reportedly set to arrive sometime in 2027. As we await the next generation of PlayStation consoles, let’s take a look back at what the PlayStation 5 has accomplished since its release.
From 2020 to 2025, Here’s How the PS5 Has Grown Over the Past Five Years
2020 – Share Screen and Accessibility
Starting in 2020, the console was released with a high-speed SSD, immersive 3D Audio, and the DualSense wireless controller. It also debuted features like Share Screen, which allows players to watch friends’ gameplay in real-time. The feature was used more than 1.6 billion times, totaling over 900 million hours of usage. Regarding accessibility, the console has expanded from 11 features at launch to 20 by 2025.
2021 – Cross-Gen Share Play, M.22 SSD Expansion and More
The following year, we saw innovation towards Share Play, with cross-gen share-play allowing PS5 players with PS Plus to virtually ‘pass the controller’ to friends using PS4. The feature has been used over 700 million times since launch. M.2 SSD storage expansion was introduced for players to grow their libraries further.
PS5 Game Captures received the ability to be shared through the PS App, resulting in 5.6 billion captures uploaded and over 1 billion voice chat sessions conducted through the app. The Midnight Black and Cosmic Red colour variations for the DualSense were also released in 2021.
2022 – VRR, New PS Plus Tiers, and More Colors
Then the next year, PlayStation 5 received variable refresh rate or VRR, which helped enhance visual performance by minimizing visual artifacts for smoother, crisper gameplay. 96% of players with VRR-compatible monitors use this feature regularly. We also saw PlayStation Plus being turned into a three-tier service: Essential, Extra, and Premium/Deluxe. “The total gameplay hours for Game Catalog and Classic Catalog have also increased – cumulatively hitting 14 billion hours.”
Three more galaxy-inspired color variations were introduced for the DualSense in 2022: Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple.
2023 – PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, and More
2023 was the year of accessories; we first saw the release of the PSVR2, which featured eye tracking, headset feedback, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers through the PSVR2 Sense Controllers. Discord voice chat has been introduced to the PS5, with more than 1 billion voice chat sessions taking place on the platform, averaging 105 minutes per session.
Then, the next device, PlayStation Portal, was introduced to redefine their remote play features, with the device accounting for over 50% of all PS5 Remote Play sessions. Innovation was also introduced to the controller space with the high-performance, ultra-customizable DualSense Edge and the Access Controller, designed to make games more accessible.
Cloud streaming for PS5 games also introduced new options for PlayStation Plus Premium members to stream supported PS5 digital games from the Game Catalog, Game Trials, and purchases made on the PS Store directly on their PS5 console. Lastly, a whole line of audio products was released with planar magnetic drivers, PlayStation Link technology, and lightning-fast, lossless audio connection.
2024 – Community Game Help, Welcome Hub, and PS5 Pro
2024 was the year when Community Game Help was introduced, allowing players to share gameplay hint videos generated by opt-in contributors. The Welcome Hub was also added this year to bring a personalized PS5 home screen space with customizable widgets and backgrounds. Lastly, the mid-gen update, PS5 Pro, and the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection were also released that year.
2025 – Here’s Where Everything Adds Up
2025 marks the 5th Anniversary of the PS5, and it has racked up some huge numbers in this time span. The console has sold over 84 million units globally, and if players “lined up every PS5 ever sold, together they’d stretch over 28,600 kilometers”. Moreover, over 7,500 PS5 games have been published by more than 4,000 creators.
The top 3 multiplayer games on the PS5, based on playtime, are Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare II. The top 3 single-player games on PS5 are Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, God of War Ragnarök, and Hogwarts Legacy. Combined, players have acquired over 40 billion Trophies and 110 million Platinum Trophies. Last but not least by any means, across the five years, PS5 players have logged a total of 100 billion hours of gameplay.
In other news, a PS5 & PC cross-buy option has been discovered and verified. Additionally, the Xbox port of Helldivers 2 helped increase sales of the PS5 and PC. What are your thoughts on PS5’s journey across the past 5 years? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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