As Switch Approaches The PS2's Lifetime Sales, Sony Moves The Goalposts

Huge success either way. Kudos to Nintendo, I love the Switch.

I don't think Nintendo are particulalry bothered about being the best selling console. Sony obviously is hahahah! So pathetic, Jim. What has PS2 got to do with his reign??? Dude was probably rounding up.

Who cares ‽ Switch has been super successful ! That's all that matters ! 💪🥳

They are both great consoles, which sold the most is basically irrelevant unless you happen to be a website waiting for the day you can post your "Nintendo Switch becomes the best selling console ever" article!

How convenient for Sony!

Even if this isn't pulled entirely out of thin air, you can't help but appreciate the funny timing of him saying this now that the Switch is closing in on the PS2 lifetime sales. It's kind of silly.

Ok, hands up. Who bought 5 million new PS2 consoles in the last year?

Calling the Wii U an abject failure is uncalled for. It served admirably as a development tool for some of the Switch's best games.

As a reminder, Jim Ryan doesn't understand why people would want to play old games

I mean, like most big companies, Sony tends to be really prideful when it comes to their reputation so I wouldn't be surprised if they looked at the Switch rapidly approaching the PS2's originally provided sales figures and suddenly said it sold even more but that doesn't change that both consoles are fantastic systems and that the sales figures don't matter at the end of the day except to petty fanboys and company executives.

A lot selling a console is not that important. Look at the N64 and the original Xbox console it did not sell very much but it was a succes consoles with great games. İ had lot fun with this 2 consoles. İ love the N64 and the original Xbox still. About the Nintendo Switch yess İ love it.

Okay so let's say the switch does fall short of the now new number of 160 million well in 5 years time we may as well add another 10 million to the Switches number without any evidence to support it, how desperate can you get?

Who cares? Apparenlty Sony cares. Because when it became clear that the Switch would surpass the PS2 sales figure, they added an imaginary 5 million more. So pathetic.

We already had that conversation when people tried to move the goalpost to 156, 158 and 159 millions. There's no doubting that PS2 would remain a viable purchase for years after 2012, but there are all the reasons to question how many people would keep purchasing a new PS2 from Sony (via the respective retailers) over a comfortably chipped second hand unit with blackjack and h... ard disk drives. And you either keep tracking official sales to address that question later or you choose to bank what you have like Sony did. Otherwise, like some are already quipping above, nothing would stop Nintendo from likewise embellishing Switch sales at any point post factum as well.

Nintendo DS didn't become any less of a legend once surpassed in the stats by PS2. Neither will PS2 itself.

Soo, just remember today is April 1st. Is this actually confirmed/true?

The PlayStation 2 is the last Sony console I really loved, I am not surprised about the death of PlayStation.

I did not expect the Switch to sell that much, but looking back now and looking at all the great games I played, it is not surprising.

Is Jim being pathetic by moving the goalposts or are people being pathetic by being fixated on the Switch beating the PS2 sales like it's a competition.

As a pure games console the Switch sales are already more impressive than the PS2's anyway as many bought it as a cheap DVD player and the PS2 had some cheap variations to towards the end such as the slim (when slim models were actually slim). If Switch were to reach that 160 million mark they they would need to delay the switch 2 by another year (2026) and release some more major titles on the switch.

Sony feeling threatened. as they should.. They really no longer are the same company from way back when. They've become greedy, toxic and are just straightup tone deaf from the feedback from their fans. Shame, too, as I absolutely loved the PS3 and PS4 era's of Sony. But that's unfortunately a thing of the past..

Nintendo (and Xbox to some extend as well) is 100% the way to play games.

Yesterday - "The Switch just needs to sell the equivalent of Wii U's lifetime sales to surpass PS2."

Jim Ryan - "That's not correct. It needs to sell the equivalent of Wii U AND Super NES Classic Edition to surpass the mighty PS2"

With the switch formula, Nintendo is sitting on a gold mine. I hope they go the same route with the Switch 2, only with a better, cleaner, faster Eshop. Lil bit bigger screen than the oled. Backwards compatibility, and that some older games get a upgrade to 4K 60fps. (Tears of the kingdom)
A new season pass for smash stages etc. It will sell the system in seconds lol.

@The-Chosen-one They would be insane not to follow the Switch formula going forward, this should be their main design instead of changing things up everytime as it's too risky, Just stick with Switch 2,3,4 etc. I think the features you mentioned are a must and maybe a Mario Kart 9 release title would help more, oh and make it support the current Switch Pro Controllers.

I'm struggling to see how a 13 year old console sold 5m units in its final year of production after they stopped reporting numbers.

I don't think that's ever even been close to a thing. With consoles usually once you mention the successor 5-7 years in, sales collapse, look what happened to the PS4 at the end after all as the PS5 was talked about.

So I find this very very hard to believe. And the fact Sony themselves never bothered to update it is weird. I'd certainly be willing to show shareholders these alleged 5m units of almost pure profit I just made as the expensive PS4 launches.

An ex-CEO spouting figures on a podcast should not be the barometer of fact. We should stick with the 155M sold for PS2 unless Jim Ryan or Sony produces verifiable evidence to the contrary

Switch, by far my favourite console of all time since NES !

There‘s a vivid discussion on VGChartz how precise this 160m claim is. Consensus there: Something between 158m and 159m is much more likely, Big Jimbo just rounded up generously.
https://www.vgchartz.com/article/460475/playstation-ceo-jim-ryan-says-the-ps2-sold-160-million-units-lifetime/

With PS2, there's always the catch that many bought it as a DVD player. Numbers shouldn't matter much considering that. Switch has been a major success either way!

Think of it this way: that Nintendo has sold about 140 million Switches in roughly half the time it took Sony to sell 160 million PS2s is a testament to the wildfire success of the Switch. Even if it doesn’t surpass the PS2 or the DS, it is still an incredibly successful console, a far cry from the abject failure that was the Wii U.

@UltimateOtaku91
Totally agree, because lit. everyone knows what a switch is by know. No explanation needed lol. By adding numbers to the already known name like switch2/3/4/5, would be enough for costumers to know its a new system lol.
With the WiiU after the Wii, people where confused what it was, i was explaining people at stores, when buying games, that is wasnt an add on for the Wii but a new system haha.

I'm sure Nintendo have better things to be focusing on than harbouring some petty desire to one up a rival company's console from over two decades ago.

How many millions of PS2's were given away with TV purchases? I remember seeing loads of deals in Comet and the like in the mid-2000s.

It would be more accurate to look at the value of the console sales. I suspect Switch is already the best selling console in total revenue.

It is also certainly number 1 in terms of dedicated games console too. You can't even watch YouTube on it... let alone use it as a secondary screen. Meanwhile the PS2 was absolutely used as a dedicated DVD player by people as it was a very good DVD player in the day for a very low price. It also, genuinely, looked pretty nice under your TV compared to the boring boxy DVD players of the time - which cost more too!

Somebody asked he gave a response, the ps2 sales have been listed at 155+ million for over a decade so its not all that surprising that it would be actually closer to 160.

@Andee It makes for a good marketing slogan though. 'The follow up to the best selling console of all time'. Much better than 'one of' or 'third best'.

Shame Sony didnt just call the PSP 'PS2 lite', then they could have whacked on an extra chunck

Sure he didn’t just say a nice round number as opposed to the system actually selling exactly 160M on the dot? C’mon now.. lol

@nocdaes The Switch has had a Youtube app since late 2018. Still prefer to watch Youtube on my phone but it's nice to have the option.

lol at everyone pretending they don't know why people care about sales numbers. You all play games, you have a competitive nature in you, you totally get it. If you're a Nintendo fanboy you want Nintendo to be able to say they have the best selling console of all time, just like I want my favorite athletes to have the most trophies, because winning kicks ass.

Reminder that Nintendo still hasn't done any price cut for the Switch. A $50 or $100 price reduction at the end of the Switch's life will sell a lot more than 20M units.
They probably don't care, but if they did, they have an easy way to be first.

I just hope the people out there who obsess over this are able to win something when their console breaks the record. They have their heart and souls so committed to it and it’s really all they have. Give em a bone nintendo!

😂🤣😂🤣🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I like both Switch and PS2 for their signature games.
Switch for their 1st party Nintendo games while PS2 is for Konami Rhythm games like DDR, Para Para Paradise, Drummania, etc.

It would be great if Switch does surpass the PS2 - especially given the fact that Nintendo will do it solely based on a gaming product and not doubling as something else (e.g. being the cheapest DVD player on the market at the time of release like the PS2).

@electrolite77 Add on the SNES and that's my list of 3 favourite systems. Could make a good case for them being the 3 best consoles of all time too.

I can't help but think about Super Mario 3D World and that flying goalpost you have to run after XD

Ethier way this number really shows that gaming is slowly dying.
In the year 2000 population of earth was about 6 Billion and the record was to be set, now the population is 8 Billion with an increase of 2 billion yet no one can break the record.

Next year gaming is expected to decline, so many compaines are downscaling, expect more f2p and watered down glitchy games.

7 years vs 13 years of sales. Well Nintendo is the champ then because 5 more years of Switch sales would trump the PS2 for sure. Either way though, who cares?

He's just rounding up!
Switch will surpass that number by the end of summer anyway!

@Maubari
Sony "They've become greedy, toxic..."
You may not remember, but they have always been like that!

Now now, play nice Sony.

with this new sony ps2 console totals this means nintendo will delay switch 2 until the fall of 2025 now...

Haha, remember this is Jim Ryan, he's come out with a lot of rubbish over the years. It will stay at the 155 million officially reported, if they wanted it to be different they should have reported the figures. For all we know he could make up any number he likes 🤣🤣

Comments here: "Who cares"
Same commentors: "SONY AND JIM RYAN ARE PATHETIC AND MAKING IT UP!!"

Mhm.

@Spider-Kev

Perhaps, but nowhere near as now! At least, I think? I didn't pay much attention to it back in the day because I had too much fun playing Gravity Rush, Infamous and Uncharted (And Knack too, i'll admit!).. but nowadays, there's barely anything platform/adventure related on the PS5 unfortunately.. That's probably why i'm paying attention now, I think haha.

155 million is the last official number, so it's the only one that matters. Once Switch has sold more than that, it has officially outsold the PS2.

Even if the goalpost moves up, though, all Nintendo has to do is keep the Switch around as a budget alternative for another year and they'll easily clear that last five million.

In way less time than the PS2 hit its historical numbers as well. And without having to be sold at clearance as a DVD player to normies.

Switch is already the GOAT.

As long as there are competing hardware, the flames of the console wars will never be extinguished. It was entertaining back in the 90s and it's still entertaining now.

I don’t think the switch 2 will sell as well.
The other producers releasing their own handhelds. And the fact that the switch does lack in features and retro titles that people want.
You own a Nintendo for Nintendo IPs not for third party, so it will always sell on that, but some people want just a little more and it feel like Nintendo don’t build enough on what works and what’s wanted.

@nocdaes "You can't even watch YouTube on it..."

Wait, what? I mean, I don't, but you absolutely can.

Switch is successful, however Nintendo went from console & handheld to just Switch. Nintendo was far more successful during Wii and DS era.
With only one console, Nintendo cannot afford to mess up sales wise (Wii-U, GameCube, N64).

Comparing PS2 to Switch, it’s worth bearing in mind that whereas people would only buy one PS2 per household, some households would have multiple Switches.

Both great consoles, not perfect of course both had/have hardware issues but both great.

@Vegeta937 haha never even noticed they launched that! I remember it being talked about!

@spacely_sprockets Comparing PS2 to Switch, it’s worth bearing in mind that whereas people would only buy one PS2 per household, some households would have multiple Switches.

Also keep in mind that the industry/customers was much smaller back when the PS2 sold so much.

nice try👍
not gave any official numbers , then when it is getting hot beneath their feet they all of a sudden pull a number.

it has been reseached for over 15 years and numbers might even be raised to sony's favour, what is next nintendo saying they already reached 160 mil? the number of sales have both been checked and nintendonis going to break this record sony, wheter you like it or not.

@Ralizah

nowhere there is stated that sony has sold 155 million ps2 units. this guy is just BS

what is this, The Wall Street Journal?

It doesent matter anyways but back then I had a Gamecube and a ps2. (no xbox sadly I didint know xbox existed til I got the 360 which I loved!) Most people I saw get a ps2 were not even gamers they just wanted a PS2 because it was a cheap dvd player. If we knew the data of people who even played games on the ps2 it would probably be 80 million.

I guess you could say the same thing about the Wii with netflix but that was not nearly as common as ps2 as dvd players.

@PALversusNTSC It's at 158.2 million as of February 2024, not quite the 160 Jim is saying but not 155 like people are stating.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101872/unit-sales-video-game-consoles/

With a hefty price drop and a return of Nintendo Selects/Player’s Choice for its best games they could have a chance of beating it

It would be an absolute joy if Switch became the number one selling console ever. I can't think of a more fitting tribute to the late Mr Iwata and the console he left us with.

@larryisaman You're right and I'm kinda surprised they haven't done this yet. I miss the Nintendo Selects Line-up it was a nice way to get more memorable games for an unforgettable price. Maybe we'll still see it.

Speaking of abject failures , even with Sony’s impressive PS2 sales, the company is still a whopping $31 Billion in debt. Meanwhile Nintendo has $0 debt. Sony’s financial position as a company is the real abject failure.

I am sure the people at Nintendo are way smarter than I am about this, but I still think they should do a slight refresh of the switch lite (maybe a better screen, with 2 new colors of shell) and sell it for $129 (or something like that) or $149 with a pack-in game (Super Mario Odyssey because people will still buy Mario Kart 8) and have that released with the Super Nintendo Switch comes out.

The North American Market sold around 33 million NEWS of which 710k (approximately, seems no one has an exact number) were the new redesign top loaders at the end of the life cycle.

I know Nintendo would probably want to sell more of the SuperSwitch, but banging out another 10-15 million units or so of the OG at a reduced price shouldn't hurt the sales of the new system that much. To me, someone that will pay $400 for a new switch, isn't going to be the buyer of the $129 to $149 OG switch.

@Rainz richest company by net worth in japan by far toyota has 7 times more debt then sony..

companies like sony and toyota make investments while.nintendo does not spend it sits on its...cash...it works for both companies..even a massive bank like jp morgan and chase is 14 times more debt then sony...

"oh ya? OH YA??? Well we actually sold 160 million, not 156m so THERE. Beat THAT"

Lol I don't think that pittly little 4m is gonna make a difference. Switch is gonn smash PS2 either way. 156m, 160m... doesn't make a lick of difference.

Switch is coming for that keaster

Aaaapprrriillll Fooolllll....???

@UltimateOtaku91
Good catch. I'd heard the 158 number but I believe it's based on VG Chartz and tbh even Jim may not know the actual final tally. Either way he's for sure rounding up- unless there's an official sales release from Sony, we go by last official numbers, not rounded up to the even 10m. The odds of it being EXACTLY 160m are astronomically low so the number definitely either isn't accurate or is rounded.

We need specifics with precision accuracy.

Not that it matters. Switch is gonna crush 160m anyways so it makes no difference really.

@Maubari I too preferred the ps4 and earlier Sony however with Jim Ryan now gone I hope they become more of who they used to be and actually do a better job of communicating with their fans.

If Nintendo would sell a first-party arcade cabinet "dock", more people would buy additional Switches. Just a thought...

@electrolite77 I said it was uncalled for, not wrong. Though do you know the actual definition of abject? It's a bit extreme for something that's generally remembered fondly by those who owned it, and that served as a stepping stone to massive financial success later on.

@The_DuckWitch 'The gaming is slowly dying because a console dedicated exclusively to playing video games only approaches sales numbers of a DVD player that also had an option to play games' is a very interesting take, not gonna lie.

@Maubari
I have a PS1,2,4 but i don't like how they tried to strongarm Nintendo. Back in the pre-ps1 days.

Then how they manipulate developers and keep games that should be multi-platform locked to theirs only.

Then they complain when someone tries to do it.

@spacely_sprockets
Except also that people also would have multiple cheap DVD players in the house so ps2 would also have multiples in a house!

I wonder what sales figures for switch will be 13 years after launch.

I wouldn't trust a GD word that Ryan says. Regardless, Switch has been an overwhelming success. 👏

I'm all for this as there needs to be as little ambiguity as possible as to what the best selling games system of all time is.

Sure, Jim "We Believe In Generations" Ryan. We'll just trust you, bro lol.

Whether the PS2 is 155, 160 or somewhere in between, I would love to see the Switch surpass it. Which, I think will happen.

Nintendo never gave the right number for their consoles either. They sold 170 million Virtual Boy and 9 billion Wii U.

What alot of NintenDoomed fandom forgets - is that it took only 7 years to close those figures and Switch is still in production vs PS2 no longer produced. People compare dead numbers with active numbers seems to never amazes me. It took PS2 that many years to reach those number til production ended vs Switch which by all means is in production and shows no signs of slowing down. These Apples vs Oranges doesn't no real comparison but chest thumping that flawed at worst for comparisons.

Good grief. Who gives a rip about sales numbers? I play games. I like games. We shouldn't care about this stuff.

@electrolite77 Welp, agree to disagree. I'll always see it as an underappreciated console with a solid library that only struggled because of poor marketing and some bad luck.

@johnedwin
Ok so that fact would apply if you could drive your PlayStation! 😆 What does Toyota have to do with the video game industry ? Also I don’t know why you keep trying to pan efficiently run companies who stockpile cash as an asset. There’s nothing wrong with investing in liquidity. If Nintendo has to move fast they have the cash on deck to do it, no need to wait on the sell off of their assets, that is costly and time consuming. The Wii U was a retail and generational flop. Yet Nintendo is a still creditors dream with zero debt. Sony can tout the success of the Playstation all day, it’s a great system but as a corporation they haven’t really innovated much at all since the Walkman/discman days, they’ve been trying to catch lightning in a bottle since but have just been piling up debt with far more misses than hits.

Even if somehow the Switch doesn't dethrone the PS2, it has gotten this close 1) in half the time 2) without doubling as a media player and 3) on the heels of, let's face it, a colossal failure rather than a massive success like the PS1 to PS2. That is an impressive achievement in and of itself.

That said, I do think the Switch will surpass the PS2 regardless of these "updated numbers". All it will take is the OG Switch family finally getting price drops with the Switch 2's announcement/release.

I told yall it wasn't going to surpass the PS2 and it doesn't deserve so. Let's be honest, PS2 is the most iconic video game hardware of all time and had so many iconic games. Nintendo Switch has some awesome games but most of its heavy hitters are Wii U, 3DS or Wii rereleases.

@BlublacMH Nintendo's forecast are projecting to sell 15 million units this fiscal year, they will most definitely have to adjust this projections since there are no AAA games coming during Q1 and Q2

@Brianst0rm Nintendo's forecast is 15.5M during the fiscal year that ended yesterday, they will probably have shipped 16M (from April 1st 2023 to March 31st, 2024).

On May 7, we will know the results and we will have the forecast for the current fiscal year that ends in March 2025, the forecast will probably be 9-12M units

@UltimateOtaku91 There’s no reason Nintendo can’t play it relatively safe AND still offer something new.

I agree that they’d be bonkers to mess with their core form factor too much this time around. They need to make it welcoming for their millions of current users. A bit more power, a REALLY up-to-date and modern controller, much better online, a new optional hardware hook, and a smooth transfer of data, games etc from Switch. That would be enough for me.

I got My Nintendo Switch last year for Christmas and I love it! I can't wait to play Epic Mickey: Rebrushed to the Nintendo Switch!

@Crono1973 I mean, just me myself I had 4 ps2s alone and my brother got one. My original and his both broke, I got another one when they dropped the newer sku and then I bought a black and finally a silver ps2 slim, I know I'm not the only person that had a household with multiple... Especially since it doubled as a DVD player.

Sales numbers only matter to console fanboys and investors. It's the fun factor that really matters. I loved my WiiU and PS Vita, and they both sold poorly. And speaking of the WiiU, I'm still waiting for a Switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X, Nintendo...

True. If we're counting lifetime sales, then it doesn't make sense to count the Switch's while it still hasn't been officially phased out.

I owned a PS2, one of only two Sony consoles I owned (the other being a PSP), and I can say it was a wonderful device, but I can easily see the Switch surpassing its sales given a fair measure of time.

You could argue the PS2 had a boost due to the DVD player. You could argue the Switch released during a time when the industry was a lot bigger.

You could argue which is the best selling.

Or you could just settle, that both are fantastic consoles.

If it really did it'd have been announced officially just like 155m. I mean 160m is more of a milestone than 155m ever was.

I think it's a bit silly to take his word for it, given he's no longer liable if it isn't true. In my eyes if Switch sells 156m or more it will officially be the best selling system.

If Sony themselves won't officially acknowledge 160m PS2s sold, then why should anyone?

@UltimateOtaku91 Statista is not very reliable and PS2 production ended in March 2013 afaik so it would be as of then.

Ahhh my two favorite consoles of all time in one article, love it. PS2 was without a doubt the king of consoles back then and for good reason: so many good games! Switch has followed suite so of course they are runner up. Consoles live or die on their games library and diversity

my two cent
1. Some people brought a PS2 as a DVD Player, not as a Console or PS2... while I don't have the percentage that contributed to the overall 160M figure.
2. The Switch has done very well for 7 years compared to the 13-year PS2... if anything, I would crown the Switch over the PS2 already. Also, it is very likey Nintendo will keep the Switch as an entry portable console like the 3DS...

It's all about winning. That's it. No other point to life, just being #1 in everything you do. There is no second place, there can only be one.

From political parties to consoles. From opinions to facts...everything is a competition on being first, right, bigger, longer...blah, blah blah.

*I'm beginning to despise this industry and the people in it.

I bought my PS2 to use as a DVD player.
Eventually I purchased a few games for it.
Evil Dead
.hack//Infection/Mutation
EyeToy
Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Midnight Club
Some London racing/walking game

And the PS2 is my second favourite console! Switch is a great contender to pass that record. I imagine I'll be on the Nintendo Switch for another decade easily. There's more content than I can fathom.

@kedireturns
firstly - OG Xbox literally had a DVD player and was the same or cheaper price than PS2 and it sold terribly like GameCube. Therefore your PS2 DVD argument is insidious and not based on reality

You aren't taking into account that XboX was a brand new competitor.
No one knew how they would do.
Nintendo and Sony were both well established!

Hell, I have a Series X and MS isn't doing too well right now.

They've always been in last place (WiiU notwithstanding)

Well, considering that a significant percentage of people bought it solely as a cheap DVD player, Nintendo has had some impressive sales as a gaming console... And probably surpassed the PS2 GAMING consoles sales

@kedireturns

In NY, on Long Island, stand-alone DVD players were still $500 when PS2 was released.

Just because some places had cheaper DVD players, doesn't mean everyone had them.

Hell, except for my school, which had to special order them, LaserDisk wasn't sold out here!

"Now to go in-depth regarding the DVD nonsense.
The whole PS2 was cheaper than a DVD player was a myth that has been dissproved long ago, in case that is what you still believe.

“ There is one myth and a few mysteries around PlayStation 2’s DVD player. Many retellings of the PlayStation story state that the PS2 was cheaper than standalone players at launch. This otherwise perfect, in-depth article about PS2 says the console was ‘significantly’ so. This is simply not the case"

@kedireturns
"So per you, if PS2 is a DVD player, Then Switch is an Android tablet."

Absolutely not.
It needs to be rooted and hacked to run as an android tablet.

My switch (day one) is still factory settings!

PS2 by default had a DVD player.

Everyone is forgetting that Ninty was also hit by chip shortages
It's why systems were selling at double and triple during carona!

@kedireturns Wow. I never said I didn't appreciate the PS2. Heck, I ended up contributing to its numbers - once for a fat (that I sold) and once for a slim (after a used Slim I bought for dirty cheap ended up not reading discs properly after only a few months).

Another thing that probably contributed to PS2 selling higher is that the system itself had a crappy disc drive. If you used the DVD player too much, it stopped reading games and DVD playback skipped.

Almost every person I know had to replace their PS2 at least once because the drives failed.

Look, I loved the PS2. It had a fantastic library of games, but much like the Wii selling 100+ million because of Wii Sports and being used in rehab centers and nursing homes for reason outside of gaming (e.g. mobility training), the PS2 has some bloat due to non-gaming reasons.

People bought a Switch because it plays games and other than Joy-Con Drift issues, hasn't had any major hardware defects.

Now, I am sure some of the Switch sales are due to rare hardware issues (that probably accounts for a small percentage of any console, really), lost consoles, and console mishandling. But with the disc drive issues the PS2 had, I bet it accounts for much higher percentage than others.

Plus, in my area, getting a DVD player was at least $400 at that time.

I would bet that 65% of the sales of the PS2 were due to how good it was as a gaming platform and the other 35% are for other reasons.

In order to play DVDs on the OG Xbox, you needed to buy the DVD Movie Playback Kit. It would not play them otherwise. PS2 had its own remote and such, but it could play DVDs just fine without them.

@kedireturns An ex of mine had a PS2 purely as a DVD player, so that counts for 1 of the 155 or 158 million.

@kedireturns Yes the xbox had a dvd player but you had to find a scarcly produced xbox specific remote to enable the dvd player functionality in the original xbox. otherwise you could not enable it. The PS2 did not need a dvd remote to enable dvd playback.

A giant portion of the PS2 install base had no games but used it as a dvd player because of its cheap launch price being competitive to other dvd players.

@kedireturns "So per you, if PS2 is a DVD player, Then Switch is an Android tablet."

yes because there are millions of people using the Switch to Run android apps just like there were millions of people who used the ps2 as a dvd player? lmfao also Switch is not android its linux (I know android is based off linux but The switch is purely a modified Linux machine Just like most video game console os besides xbox.)

"dont forget it also required Nintendo to have COVID + PlayStation chip shortage for 2 years"

So did Nintendo and Microsoft and legit every single tech company, even cars and car dealers had inventory they could not sell because the chips for the internals of cars were not installed because they had not arrived, It was a world wide issue in virtually every market Idk how you limit it to just this market and Only Sony was going through it but ok?

"Its effects are still felt today. Go and compare the Switch Pro controller with Dual Analog PS1 controller vs ANY Nintendo controller and see which one it most matches. Yeah exactly."

Sony only came out with the dual shock after Nintendo came out with the Analogue stick on the Sega Saturn And Nintendo had it on the n64 before sony had the dualshock. So Sega invented the wheel but sonys better for making 2 of them? ok xD

Also look at the sony Controllers they are just rip offs of the Super Nintendo Controller. You have a dpad on the dualshock created by Nintendo not Sony You have the Face buttons that are copied straight from the super Nintendo layout. and you have shoulder buttons which I believe Sega came out with first or Nintendo but either way it was not sony. And of course the analogue stick which ps did not have til after the n64. So yes most of the controllers we use today we have to think Nintendo and Sega for not sony. But yes Give them brony points for Taking the analogue stick from Sega/ Nintendo and putting 2 instead of one xD

@kedireturns You say Nintendo needed to combine their handheld and home console markets to potentially beat the PS2, but all that means is that they're not splintering their base for the first time like they did in previous generations.

Also, even after the peak of covid hysteria and chip shortages, Switch has continued to sell at numbers that well exceed the peak sales years of the PS4, so let's not act like it only sold well during or because of the pandemic.

Companies use different tactics to move hardware. Sony's historic PS2 numbers were at least partially due to frequent sales, a loooooooooooong lifespan (13 years, as I recall), and the system's multimedia playback. This is indisputable. It doesn't mean that the PS2 had a bad library or would've sold poorly without DVD playback. But it probably would have sold millions of fewer units (although, as with speculation about how Switch would have sold in 2020 without 'rona and lockdowns, that's pure speculation), and the Nintendo DS would have easily knocked it off its perch.

Don't worry, we all still think the PS2 is an incredible console. You don't need to defend its honor.

@Arcata

"But yes Give them brony points for Taking the analogue stick from Sega/ Nintendo and putting 2 instead of one xD"

lmao "brony points"

@Ralizah Lmfao I just noticed I said brony Instead of Brownie xD Brony points are probably way different huh xD

@Ralizah Normies? Seriously?

@Majicou Non-gamers, in this context. Probably had a few FIFA titles mixed in amidst the stack of mainstream blockbuster films they watched on their Sony Playstation 2.

@kedireturns nope. I was there mate and the PS2 was cheap compared to DVD players from any reputable makes. The fact it was Sony was a huge factor.

Also, they were given away left, right and centre. You got them for free with wide-screen TVs - which by the way MOST people were upgrading to from their old square box at the time.

They also gave them away with mobile phone contracts.

Ok it may not amount to millions, but it paints the picture very clearly. PS2 shifted plenty of units at dirt cheap rates - and there are plenty of people that used it just for DVDs.

Sony's Jim Ryan constantly moving goalposts to claim victory? No way! He has always been a petty man favored by petty fans.

@Arcata
Super Nintendo had Shoulder buttons before SeGa did.
SeGa didn't use them until the system after the Genesis

@kedireturns My man, your posts read like you're in the denial stage of grief.

Chill. Being #2 behind Switch isn't a terrible fate for the PS2. It's still a good console. And a GREAT low-price DVD player.

@kedireturns I thought your previous post was your last one under this article?

Either way, take a deep breath, wipe the tears from your eyes, and listen closely: literally nobody here has argued, in your words, "PS2 is successful only cos of DVD."

It has been argued that the DVD playback was an ELEMENT of its success. Not that it wasn't even more popular as a gaming device.

Do you understand the distinction?

You know what else is an element of its success in terms of hardware numbers? Sony continuing to sell it as a budget alternative to the PS3 during the entirety of the seventh generation.

Whereas, with Nintendo, all they had to do was not opt to splinter their existing player base between two separate devices as they traditionally have. The console has no multimedia functionality to fall back on, and the console has enjoyed no price cuts, and will still outsell the PS2 in a fraction of the time that device was being manufactured.

Different manufacturers use different methods to drive adoption of their hardware. In Sony's case, part of the success of the PS2 was that it was, to use your language, a "2-in-1" device: a gaming console and a DVD player.

Why did this not help Microsoft at the time? Well, I'm inclined to point toward people needing to make a separate purchase of a DVD playback kit to enable the functionality, but the reality is that people probably just weren't aware it could do this. I was gaming regularly in this era, and I had NO idea the Xbox was capable of DVD playback at the time. Whereas pretty much everyone knew the PS2 could also play movies and thus was pretty much an all-in-one home entertainment solution for the living room.

Moreover, the Playstation brand was more popular. If you're going to grab a console that can play DVDs, you only need one.

Many people used PS2 primarily as a gaming console, and also occasionally watched a movie on it. Other people also grabbed it primarily as a DVD player and then, why not, grabbed a few cheap games to go along with it. If you're going to own both a game console and a DVD player, it makes a ton of sense to grab a device that can play DVDs and has access to most of the biggest games on the market.

@kedireturns
As i said earlier, your article is both correct and wrong at the same time!
Yes, prices were falling.
But NOT everywhere.
ps2, in my area was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than ANY dvd player!

i LIVED through it. I know.

The PS2 is legendary, but the Switch will probably outsell the PS2. It just has a more bigger audience with all types of gamers and works great as a secondary device.

I absolutely loved the PS1 and PS2 era. Modern Playstation games just isn’t my jam, but I like to play them a few times a year. I’m glad Nintendo decided to go their own direction after GameCube. Gaming wouldn’t be as fun without them.

This is actually pretty funny, jim ryan dropping sales info bomb before retiring lol.

I do think switch can still be number one selling console if nintendo drop the price and still sells it when the switch 2 come out.

We know that the PS2 cleared 158 million units. Sony stopped reporting at 155m but other retailer figures didn't and as reported on Statista (https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101872/unit-sales-video-game-consoles/) we can see the PS2 hit 158.7m units as of Feb 2024.

Did it hit 160m units? Just because they stopped reporting on numbers sold, Sony would probably know how many rolled off the production line so it is possible.
Same way as the PS4 finished at 117.16m, but we know that they made at least another million on top of that to account for the PS5 shortfall. PS4 has probably subsequently hit 120m units but we'll never know.

Even if the Switch does overtake it, it'll probably remain the world's best selling home console as all those Switch Lite units won't count towards that.

@kedireturns I'm a big fan of the PS2 and would say it's one of the three greatest consoles of all time, and arguably the greatest. However there's no doubting that some people bought it primarily as a DVD player, especially in the early days of the PS2.

It's also highly amusing that someone who keeps shouting "Nintendo fanboy' at other people on here has 6 posts on this one article as he's so determined to defend the PS2's honour against the perceived slight of people pointing out that it was also a DVD player, out of 7 posts in total on Nintendo Life.

It was an off the cuff remark made on a podcast. He was probably just rounding up. If it was a press release with actual sales data, I'd take it more seriously.

@Spider-Kev Ah gotcha. I was thinking about that lil Shoulder button on the genesis controller but its not really a shoulder button its like a mode button that only works in a few games

@Ralizah I dont get why this guy is so defensive for the ps2. No one here says its a bad platform. I had a ps1 and ps2 and man they are great systems with great games. All we are pointing out is a portion of its success was it being a very popular Device for dvd playback for alot of non gamers.

I love the Wii. If this guy pointed out that alot of Wiis were used by people as a dedicated Netflix machine back in the day I wont get all mad and say "Eeerrmmm no it wasent! it was more expensive than most netflix machines back then so dats wrong!" lmfao no I wouldnt say that

@Arcata Well, when you've tethered your personal identity and self-worth to the success of a multi-national gaming brand, any perceived criticism of it becomes a personal attack, right?

Yeah, ironically, the PS1 and PS2 are two of my all-time favorite gaming devices. Still are. I'd probably put them behind Switch at this point, but in terms of pure home consoles, you don't really get better.

With Wii, I think the perception was that grandma bought it to play bowling/dancing/fitness games and forgot about it after a few months. The attach rate was also very high for that console, but I'd never deny that the non-gamer dollar was a huge element in the console's success.

@Ralizah yea very true. I love Nintendo games but I still know they are a megacorp, I would never go on a crusade for them lol.

@MattmanForever Lol weird

I knew that PS2 was the best console ever, but I didn't think that it was even better. Sony made a legendary console.

"...the abject failure of the Wii U" ?

Ouch lol

Sir, the Wii U walked so that the Switch could fly.

Maybe he just said 160m, to round it the nearest 10m. But actual records are 155m?

Also the PS2 was a DVD player as well. So I believe people bought the PS2 as a cheap alternative to a DVD player.

Switch has already beaten PS2 as best selling game console.
PS2 was one of the best selling DVD players. Its well known it was the cheapest and best DVD player you could get at the time.

There was a poll in Japan and of those polled 60% used their PS2 primarily as a DVD player. Not that it wasn't a great console, but it's legacy is blown up due to this. I'd love to see a game console be top selling for the merit of being a game machine.

PS2's numbers are really impressive if you consider that it was during a time when gaming was less popular than now and, as a purely home console, it was much more likely for 1 to be purchased per household. Switch, on the other hand, shares its purchase scheme with handhelds, multiple units per household, not to mention that consecutive switch models are more likely to be bought by people who already own a Switch since they offer more significant updates (smaller size, which is much more important for a handheld, or more memory/better screen) than consecutive ps2 models (smaller size, negligible for home consoles).

Cya
Raziel-chan

The 155 million number was reported at the start of FY 2012. It was 150 million in FY 2011. The PS2 was taken off shelves in January 2013. It's really not that hard to conceive of 5 million more selling in its final year.