On Wednesday, Sony launched a website revealing PlayStation history and the company said the PlayStation 2 has officially sold over 160 million units, making it the highest-selling console of all time.
For PlayStation’s massive 30th anniversary, Sony has launched a website detailing the console’s storied history, starting with the first PlayStation, released in 1994. One of the bigger details on the site comes from the PlayStation 2 section on the Sony timeline, where the site reveals just how many consoles the sequel has sold. The PlayStation 2 has officially sold more than 160 million units, putting it ahead of the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Switch, which are the next runners-up. Sony hadn’t revealed PS2 sales numbers since 2011.
Sony applauds the PlayStation 2 on its website, saying its console generation “included giant steps forward in home console gaming, with augmented reality, online multiplayer gaming and more ambitious, large-scale games on DVD discs,” referring to the PlayStation 2’s innovative disc drive. The launch of the PS2 was helped by a strong lineup of next-generation (for the time) software, including Armored Core 2, Dynasty Warriors 2, Midnight Club and Tekken Tag Tournament. This provided gamers of any genre an onboarding ramp for PlayStation 2 gaming.
What isn’t included on the official site are the latest rumours surrounding a new Sony handheld gaming console. The PSP and PS Vita are shown on the site, giving nods to the only two portable PlayStation consoles released thus far. While the PS VR and PS VR2 are also shown on the site, the PlayStation Portal has been left off.
Sony has pulled out all the stops for the PlayStation 30th anniversary, first with the classic grey PS5 and PS5 Pro console release (complete with packaging that hearkens back to the original), and now allowing fans to relive nostalgia through an official site. Fans can visit the anniversary site here for a trip down memory lane, or head to CGMagazine’s retrospective on the PS2 from 2020.
