PlayStation saw the end of an era as Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan retired from the company on March 29. Ryan worked for the company for over three decades and was promoted to the position of CEO in 2019. However, one statement from Ryan before his retirement has sparked some controversy. Ryan claimed that PlayStation2 sold a staggering 160 million units worldwide, presenting an updated figure from the earlier reported 155 million units.
With or without Jim Ryan’s updated figure, PlayStation 2 continues to be the best-selling gaming console. It is followed by the Nintendo DS with 154.02 million units sold and the Nintendo Switch at 139.36 million units sold. Among the three, only the Switch still remains in production.
Jim Ryan’s PS2 Sales Claim Sparks Controversy
Before his final day at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), Jim Ryan appeared on the Official PlayStation Podcast and opened up about his time working at Sony. During the conversation with his coworkers at SIE, Ryan was asked what the 2000s brought to his mind. Ryan responded that the biggest achievement during that time was the PlayStation2 sales, which reached a staggering 160 million. Ryan shared on the podcast:
“The 2000s? That would be, I would say, 160 million, which is the number of PS2s that we sold. A high watermark.”
Ryan’s claim of selling 160 million units sparked controversy among fans, who argued that Sony’s official number was 155 million units (via SIE Business Data & Sales). One fan questioned Ryan’s statement, asking why he decided to reveal the 160 million number after this long time. Other fans began mocking him and shared that his source must be “trust me bro”. One fan speculated that the exaggerated number was to push the Switch away from surpassing PS2’s sales.
Another fan commented that they were not going to believe the CEO unless Sony confirmed the number and made it official. One supportive fan tried to explain the new figure, sharing that SIE’s information was released on March 31, 2012. However, the PS2 was discontinued only in late 2013, which could account for the 5 million extra units sold. Some fan reactions read:
I actually don’t believe him. How was it for the longest time that the PS2 has sold 155 million yeah he’s now going and said that it sold 160 million and its lifetime don’t believe him. Why say this now because he’s leaving?
— Adam Player 1 (@AdamPlayer01) March 30, 2024
Source: trust me bro
He should have said 200m if he was just gonna make shit up.
— Nintendo Sphere (@NintendoSphere) March 30, 2024
Bullshit, it obviously only sold 155 million. The 5 million extra is him trying to push the Switch away from surpassing it.
— Debulover (@Debulover2) March 30, 2024
He didn't "confirm" anything lol
He just talking out his ass. When SONY co firms, then can make it official
— NintenGOD (@AesirMalos) March 30, 2024
The latest official figure provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment is "over 155.0 million (as of March 31, 2012)", while the PS2 was not discontinued until late 2013.
— nabhu (@aidenppearce) March 30, 2024
In his podcast interview, Ryan also revealed that the PS5 was well on track to become Sony’s most successful console ever, across multiple vectors. Starting April 1, Hiroki Totoki will take over as the interim CEO of SIE. Jim Ryan received a farewell party in December, where he was gifted with a rare PS5 modeled after the PS1.
Analyst Earlier Confirmed Jim Ryan’s Claims With PS2 Sales Calculation
One analyst, Daniel Ahmad, who works for Niko Partners, confirmed in a thread on the Resetera discussion forum that the PS2 sales rose beyond the 155 million reported by SIE. Ahmad stated that Sony’s reported sales of PS3 and PS2 in the fiscal year ending in March 2013 were 16.5 million units.
While the exact number of PS3 and PS2 sold was unknown, the analyst used PS3’s 80 million units sold during announcements as a guide and determined the PS3 sales numbers. This number left him with approximately 4 million units of PS2 sold in the fiscal year 2012-2013. This calculation meant that the sales crossed the 159 million mark at the minimum. Daniel Ahmad shared:
“In the fiscal year ending March 2013 a total of 16.5 million PS3 & PS2 units were shipped. PS2 was still being shipped during this period so the info we’re missing is how many units were PS2 and how many were PS3. Using PS3’s 80m sell in announcements as a guide you can work backwards and ultimately work out that PS2 [sales from March 2012 through the end of its production] must have been close to 4m.”
While fans accuse Ryan of exaggerating the numbers to prevent the Switch from taking the number one sold console position, there’s no talk about the Switch ending its lifecycle anytime soon. Sony is currently on the hunt for a new, efficient CEO to replace Jim Ryan.
