Despite the Higher Price, the PS5 Is Selling Faster than the PS4 in the United States

There’s been a lot of talk about how well the PS5 is performing, and some people have painted a gloomy picture. But in the United States, at least, the system is doing better than many expected. It’s actually selling faster than the PS4, even though it costs more. The most surprising part? It widened its lead over the older console throughout 2024.

According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, by the end of December 2024, the PS5’s lifetime sales in the US were 7% higher than the PS4’s during the same point in its life. That’s a bump up from 6% at the end of 2023. So, instead of slowing down, the PS5 picked up more momentum over the past year.

This is particularly impressive when you remember that the PS5 launched with some major hurdles. Early on, there were big problems with stock shortages. People who wanted the system couldn’t even find one for a long time. On top of that, the PS5 is significantly more expensive than the PS4 was at this stage of its life cycle.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X|S isn’t faring as well. Through December 2024, sales for the Series X|S were 18% lower than the Xbox One’s were during the same timeframe. That’s worse than the 13% difference recorded at the end of 2023, suggesting interest in the Xbox is fading faster than expected.

Globally, the PS5’s performance has been a bit of a mixed bag. In Japan, it’s selling at about the same pace as the PS4, which is solid given the market there.

But Europe has been a tougher challenge for Sony. The PS5 is struggling to match the PS4’s success in that region, likely due to its higher price and the area’s reputation for being more price-sensitive.

With the PS5 closing out 2024 as the best-selling console in the US, it’s clear Sony had another strong year. They even had success with accessories like the PS Portal, which was the top-selling gaming accessory for the year. Still, 2025 could be a key year as Sony looks to keep the momentum going and tackle challenges in Europe.

All things considered, it’s an interesting time for gaming. The PS5 is outperforming expectations, especially given its price and past availability issues. But with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S losing steam and regional differences in PS5 sales becoming more noticeable, it’ll be worth watching how things play out next.

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