Next Gen: PS5 set to eclipse PS2 sales after launch day mayhem

It's been two decades since the release of the PlayStation 2, but in the twenty years since, no console has eclipsed it in terms of sales.

Sony will be hoping the PlayStation 5 will be the console to finally break the duct, with many anticipating that it will.

PS2 Remains Unbeaten

The PS2 was released on the March 4, 2000. Over two decades ago.

Plenty of consoles have been and gone since then - the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4 to name but a few - but none have managed to sell more units than the PS2.

Over 155 million PlayStation 2 consoles have been sold since release, with only the 110 million PlayStation 4's coming close.

But have Sony finally found the answer in their latest console?

Release Day Mayhem

Releasing a Next Gen console during a global pandemic was always going to be difficult.

With no traditional midnight queuing at retail shops, any hope of bagging a release day launch were laid at the feet of online retailers.

But that didn't go to plan. The sheer volume of traffic left many sites unable to cope with the pressure, with hundreds of thousands of people left disappointed as they failed to bag Sony's Next Gen offering.

But has that disappointment made fans hungrier than ever to get their wish?

Disappointing Launch Numbers

We'll be impressed if you can find a PS5 in stock anywhere in the world, but despite the lack of consoles on sale, launch numbers were actually pretty grim.

It is reported that just 118,000 units were sold in four days in Japan - the second-worst major PlayStation hardware launch in the region - since the fabled PS2.

But fear not Sony, as that number is almost definitely down to the lack of stock rather than a lack of demand.

Sales will Soar

Once the stock situation is sorted out, we feel there will be no stopping the PlayStation 5.

The sheer brilliance of this console leaves it worlds apart from any of it's previous Sony counterparts and, with Xbox users split between the Series X and the Series S, it is unlikely that Xbox will be able to stay in touch with a solitary console.

The PlayStation 2 is a console that holds a special place in the heart of many a gamer, but it's time for the passing of the guard now.