PlayStation 5: A 5-Year Journey of Gaming Evolution» «PlayStation 5: Un Viaje de 5 Años en la Evolución del Juego

Five years ago, in November 2020, the arrival of PlayStation 5 marked a new era of speed, immersion, and creativity. On the occasion of this fifth anniversary, we look back to explore the evolution of PS5 year by year, through system software updates, new accessories, and community milestones that continue to redefine the concept of gaming.

2020: the beginning of a new generation

The PS5 launch in November 2020 redefined what a console is capable of doing. Thanks to the power of an ultra-fast SSD, immersive 3D audio, and the innovative wireless DualSense controller, PS5 brought a new generation of immersion never seen before in the gaming world.

• Share Play made its debut to allow players to see their friends play in real time via PS5 and later, PS App. Since its launch, Share Play has been used more than 1.6 billion times during a total of 900 million hours. Among the most shared titles are Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Grand Theft Auto V.
• The accessibility is part of PS5 from day one. The console included 11 accessibility features by default, a figure that has increased to 20 in 2025 with additions such as accessibility labels and the use of a second controller as a helper. One in four PS5 users has activated at least one of these accessibility features.
• All PS5 consoles and their accessories have a micro-textured surface with PlayStation Shapes; the DualSense controller alone includes 45,674 tiny triangles, circles, crosses and squares.

2021: expanding the experience

As the PS5 player base grew, so did the platform’s capabilities. 2021 was the year of updates to expand social connectivity and storage options:

• The first major system update for PS5 added Share Play across generations, allowing PS5 players subscribed to PlayStation Plus to «pass the controller» virtually to friends using a PS4. Since its debut, Share Play has been used more than 700 million times on PS5.
• The expansion of the M.2 SSD storage gave players freedom to expand their libraries. The use of the standard M.2 format in the industry provided a flexible and affordable way to expand PS5 storage, a capability that millions of players have already taken advantage of.
• We also added the option to share PS5 gameplay screenshots via PlayStation App, which has generated 5.6 billion uploads. Today, almost half of the PlayStation messages are sent from PS App, where over 1,000 million chat sessions have taken place.
• In 2021, the first color variants of PS5 arrived, Midnight Black and Cosmic Red, allowing players to customize their consoles and accessories.

2022: refinement and customization

In 2022, PS5 went a step further to offer a richer and more personalized gaming experience.

• The VRR (variable refresh rate) improved graphic performance, minimizing visual artifacts to create smoother and sharper gameplay. Millions of players have used this feature, and the 96% uses it regularly on compatible monitors.
• This was also the year when PlayStation Plus presented a new three-tier service, with hundreds of titles in the game catalog for Extra and Premium members, as well as access to the classic catalog for Premium members. Since its launch, the number of unique players in the catalog has doubled, and the total playtime of both catalogs has increased to a combined total of 14,000 million hours.
• PS5 customization was further expanded with the arrival of new galaxy-inspired color variants: Nova Pink, Starlight Blue and Galactic Purple.

2023: the year of new accessories

2023 was marked by significant hardware advances and innovation.

• PlayStation VR2 brought next-generation immersion with eye tracking and headset feedback, as well as deep immersion through the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.
• The Discord voice chat came to PS5 to connect players across various platforms. Since its launch, more than 1 billion Discord chat sessions have been created on PS5, with an average of 105 minutes per session.
• The remote play device PlayStation Portal redefined remote gaming, and now accounts for over 50% of all PS5 Remote Play sessions, more than mobile, PC, and PS4 and PS5 consoles combined.
• We also introduced the wireless DualSense Edge controller, our first ultra-customizable high-performance controller, and the Access Kit, a set designed to make gaming more accessible for everyone.
• The access to cloud gaming streaming for PS5 games provided PlayStation Plus Premium members with new options for streaming compatible digital PS5 games from the game catalog, game tests, and PS Store purchases.
• Additionally, we launched a new line of audio products with flat magnetic drivers and our innovative PlayStation Link technology, offering ultra-fast and lossless audio connections, through the wireless PULSE Explore headsets followed by the wireless PULSE Elite headsets in early 2024.

2024: empowering players and communities

In 2024, PS5 delved deeper into community connection and customization.

• Community Game Help allowed players to share videos with gameplay tips generated by volunteer contributors. This function is already available in hundreds of PS5 titles, with thousands of useful community tips provided by players around the world.
• The new Welcome Center brought a customizable home screen space for PS5 with widgets and personalized backgrounds. Customization has only continued to grow since its launch, with the battery widget emerging as the most popular and personal game screenshots becoming the most used background for PS5 users.
• This year was also marked by the launch of PS5 Pro, our most innovative and visually stunning console to date, as well as the 30th anniversary PlayStation collection that celebrated 30 incredible years of gaming and creativity.

2025: five years of games

Happy 5th anniversary, PS5! What better way to celebrate five years of incredible progress than with a series of figures that tell the story:

• A combined total of more than 80 million units of PS5 have been sold globally. If we were to place all the PS5 consoles sold together, they would form a line of 28,600 kilometers, enough to connect Tokyo, San Francisco and London, and back again.
• More than 7,500 PS5 games have been released by more than 4,000 creators around the world. In terms of playtime, the top three multiplayer titles on PS5 have been Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty Modern Warfare, and the top three single-player titles, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, God of War Ragnarök and Hogwarts Legacy.
• Players have collectively earned 40 billion trophies on PS5, including 110 million platinum trophies.
• Over these five years, PS5 players have recorded a total of 100 billion hours of gameplay.

With five years behind it, the PS5 platform continues to evolve and connect more players than ever. From the day of its launch to today, PS5 has redefined what it means to play for creators and the community.

For five incredible years of gaming, and for the millions of players who have made them unforgettable!

* All figures are based on internal data collected as of September 2025.