Sony Confirms the PlayStation 2 Has Sold Over 160 Million Consoles Worldwide

In honor of the PlayStation's 30th anniversary, Sony has launched a webpage revealing some interesting facts in its history — including the long-speculated lifetime sales of the PlayStation 2.

The website confirms that the PlayStation 2 has sold over 160 million consoles worldwide since it launched in 2000, making it the highest-selling console of all time. It's followed by two Nintendo consoles: the Nintendo DS at 154.02 million units sold, and the Nintendo Switch at 146 million consoles sold.

A screenshot from Sony's new website confirming that the PlayStation 2 has sold over 160 million units.

To be clear, we already knew the PS2 sat on the throne as the highest-selling console, but it's Sony's first official confirmation of that 160 million number. Previously, IGN crunched our own numbers, estimating that the PS2's lifetime sales likely came in around 159 million. That's based on Sony's last official reporting of its numbers — 150 million in 2011 — plus further analysis from Niko Partners' Daniel Ahmad (via ResetEra).

Really, the only console that could topple the PS2 in the near future is the Nintendo Switch, as other current-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S still lag far behind as of now. However, Switch sales have taken a dive recently as the world eagerly awaits updates on the Switch successor.

Sony's new website is packed with little interesting tidbits not just on the PS2, but all of Sony's consoles from the original PlayStation all the way up to the PS VR2. And Sony has been making headlines for plans for its future as well, with a recent Bloomberg report revealing that it's planning a return to the handheld console market.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.