Former PlayStation leader Jim Ryan has provided an updated sales total for the PlayStation 2, confirming the console has reached 160 million units sold since its 2000 launch.
Ryan made the remark while appearing on a PlayStation podcast episode dedicated to his career, reiterating the long-term commercial success of Sony’s second home console.
The PlayStation 2 launched in 2000 and has long been recognized as one of the most commercially successful consoles in video game history.
In his appearance on the PlayStation podcast, Ryan said the PlayStation 2 “has sold 160 million units since launch,” a figure that represents the enduring reach of the platform across multiple regions and release windows.
By comparison, Nintendo reports the Nintendo Switch family — which includes the original Nintendo Switch (launched March 3, 2017), the handheld-focused Switch Lite (2019), and the OLED model (2021) — had sold 139.36 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2023.
Those cumulative Switch numbers come from Nintendo’s public financial reporting and reflect the combined sales of all Switch hardware variants.
Context and platform history
- PlayStation 2: Released in 2000, the PS2 supported a broad library of titles and included DVD playback functionality.
Sony officially ended PlayStation 2 production in 2013 after a 13-year production run.
- Nintendo Switch family: Launched in 2017, the Switch’s hybrid design and subsequent hardware variants have driven steady sales over multiple fiscal years.
Nintendo publishes consolidated hardware and software sales in its quarterly and annual financial reports.
Why the numbers matter
Ryan’s confirmation of a 160 million install base for the PlayStation 2 updates the public record on a console that has been a benchmark for industry success for more than two decades.
The Nintendo Switch’s 139.36 million units, as reported by Nintendo through December 31, 2023, place it among the fastest-selling and most widely adopted consoles of its generation.
Both platforms have left significant marks on the industry, shaping hardware design decisions and software strategies for developers and publishers.
These verified sales milestones underscore the long-running commercial narratives for two of the industry’s most influential platforms.
As companies continue to publish hardware figures in earnings reports and interviews, aggregated totals remain an important measure of market reach and historical influence within the games industry.
Ryan made the remark while appearing on a PlayStation podcast episode dedicated to his career, reiterating the long-term commercial success of Sony’s second home console.
The PlayStation 2 launched in 2000 and has long been recognized as one of the most commercially successful consoles in video game history.
In his appearance on the PlayStation podcast, Ryan said the PlayStation 2 “has sold 160 million units since launch,” a figure that represents the enduring reach of the platform across multiple regions and release windows.
By comparison, Nintendo reports the Nintendo Switch family — which includes the original Nintendo Switch (launched March 3, 2017), the handheld-focused Switch Lite (2019), and the OLED model (2021) — had sold 139.36 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2023.
Those cumulative Switch numbers come from Nintendo’s public financial reporting and reflect the combined sales of all Switch hardware variants.
Context and platform history
- PlayStation 2: Released in 2000, the PS2 supported a broad library of titles and included DVD playback functionality.
Sony officially ended PlayStation 2 production in 2013 after a 13-year production run.
- Nintendo Switch family: Launched in 2017, the Switch’s hybrid design and subsequent hardware variants have driven steady sales over multiple fiscal years.
Nintendo publishes consolidated hardware and software sales in its quarterly and annual financial reports.
Why the numbers matter
Ryan’s confirmation of a 160 million install base for the PlayStation 2 updates the public record on a console that has been a benchmark for industry success for more than two decades.
The Nintendo Switch’s 139.36 million units, as reported by Nintendo through December 31, 2023, place it among the fastest-selling and most widely adopted consoles of its generation.
Both platforms have left significant marks on the industry, shaping hardware design decisions and software strategies for developers and publishers.
These verified sales milestones underscore the long-running commercial narratives for two of the industry’s most influential platforms.
As companies continue to publish hardware figures in earnings reports and interviews, aggregated totals remain an important measure of market reach and historical influence within the games industry.
