5 years in the past, in November 2020, PlayStation 5 marked a brand new period of velocity, immersion, and creativity. As we rejoice its fifth anniversary, we’re trying again at how PS5 has advanced – 12 months by 12 months – by system software program updates, new equipment, and neighborhood milestones that proceed to redefine play.
2020: The start of a brand new era
The PS5’s launch in November 2020 redefined what a console may do. Powered by an ultra-high-speed SSD, immersive 3D Audio, and the modern DualSense wi-fi controller, PS5 launched a brand new era of immersion by no means felt earlier than in gaming.
- Share Display debuted, permitting gamers to observe pals’ gameplay in actual time by way of PS5 and afterward the PS App. Since launch, Share Display has been used greater than 1.6 billion instances, totaling over 900 million hours. High shared titles embrace Fortnite, Roblox, Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare II, and Grand Theft Auto V.
- Accessibility has been on the coronary heart of PS5 since day one. The console launched with 11 accessibility options, which has grown to twenty by 2025 – together with new additions similar to Accessibility Tags and Second Controller for Help. One out of each 4 PS5 customers have enabled at the very least considered one of these accessibility options.
- Each PS5 console and accent options microtextured PlayStation shapes – on DualSense alone, there are 45,674 tiny triangles, circles, crosses, and squares.
2021: Increasing the expertise
Because the PS5 participant base grew, so did the platform’s capabilities. 2021 centered on updates that expanded social connectivity and storage choices:
- The primary main PS5 system replace added Cross-generation Share Play, enabling PS5 gamers with PlayStation Plus membership to just about ‘move the controller’ to pals utilizing PS4. Since launch, Share Play has been used over 700 million instances on PS5.
- M.2 SSD storage growth gave gamers freedom to develop their libraries. The usage of an industry-standard M.2 format supplied a versatile and cost-efficient technique to develop PS5 storage, and the characteristic has since been adopted by hundreds of thousands of gamers.
- We additionally added the power to share PS5 sport captures by the PlayStation App, leading to 5.6 billion captures uploaded. In the present day, practically half of PlayStation messages are despatched from the PS App, with greater than 1 billion voice chat classes going down by the app.
- 2021 additionally launched PS5’s first shade variations – Midnight Black and Cosmic Crimson, giving gamers extra methods to customise their console and equipment of their favourite shade.
2022: Extra Choices, Extra Methods to Play
In 2022, PS5 advanced additional to ship a richer and extra customized play expertise.
- VRR (Variable Refresh Fee) enhanced visible efficiency by minimizing visible artifacts for smoother, crisper gameplay. Tens of millions of gamers have enabled the characteristic, with 96% of these with VRR-compatible displays utilizing it commonly.
- This was additionally the 12 months PlayStation Plus launched a brand new three-tier service, providing tons of of video games within the Sport Catalog for Additional members and Deluxe/Premium members, in addition to entry to a Basic Sport catalog for Premium members. Since launch, the variety of distinctive catalog gamers has doubled, and the overall gameplay hours for Sport Catalog and Basic Catalog has additionally elevated – cumulatively hitting 14 billion hours.
- PS5 personalization expanded additional with new galaxy-inspired shade variations: Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple.
2023: Pushing the boundaries of play with new equipment
2023 was a 12 months of extra breakthrough {hardware} and innovation.
- PlayStation VR2 launched, introducing next-generation immersion with eye monitoring, headset suggestions and deep immersion with haptic suggestions and adaptive triggers by PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller.
- Discord voice chat arrived on PS5, connecting gamers throughout platforms. Since launch, greater than 1 billion Discord voice chat classes have taken place on PS5, averaging 105 minutes per session.
- PlayStation Portal distant participant redefined distant play, now accounting for over 50% of all PS5 Distant Play classes – surpassing streams by cell, PC, PS4 and PS5 consoles mixed.
- We additionally launched DualSense Edge wi-fi controller – our first high-performance, ultra-customizable controller – and the Entry Controller, a controller package designed to make gaming extra accessible for all.
- Cloud Streaming entry for PS5 video games introduced new choices for PlayStation Plus Premium members to stream supported PS5 digital video games from Sport Catalog, Sport Trials and purchases from PS Retailer on their PS5 console.
- Moreover, we launched a brand new line of audio merchandise that includes planar magnetic drivers and our modern PlayStation Hyperlink expertise that gives lightning-fast, lossless audio reference to Pulse Discover wi-fi ear buds, adopted by Pulse Elite wi-fi headset in early 2024.
2024: Empowering gamers and communities
In 2024, PS5 deepened neighborhood connection and personalization.
- Group Sport Assist debuted, enabling gamers to share gameplay trace movies generated from opt-in contributors. The characteristic is now out there throughout tons of of PS5 titles, with 1000’s of useful neighborhood hints contributed by gamers all over the world.
- The brand new Welcome Hub launched a personalised PS5 house display screen area with customizable widgets and backgrounds. Customization has been rising since launch, with the battery widget rising as the most well-liked, and private gameplay screenshots turning into the highest background selection amongst gamers.
- This was additionally the 12 months we launched the PS5 Professional – our most visually spectacular and modern console thus far, together with the PlayStation thirtieth Anniversary Assortment, celebrating 30 unimaginable years of play and creativity.
2025: 5 years of play
Blissful fifth Anniversary, PS5! As we rejoice 5 years of the wonderful journey, the numbers inform the story:
- PS5 has cumulatively offered over 84 million models globally. For those who lined up each PS5 ever offered, collectively they’d stretch over 28,600 kilometers – lengthy sufficient to go from Tokyo to San Francisco to London, after which all the best way again house once more.
- Greater than 7,500 PS5 video games have been revealed by over 4,000 creators all over the world. By complete playtime, the highest three most-played PS5 multiplayer video games had been Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V, and Name of Responsibility Fashionable Warfare II and the highest three PS5 most-played single-player video games had been Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, God of Struggle Ragnarök and Hogwarts Legacy.
- Gamers have earned a mixed 40 billion Trophies on PS5, together with 110 million Platinum Trophies.
- Throughout 5 years, PS5 gamers have logged a complete of 100 billion hours of gameplay.
5 years on, the PS5 platform continues to evolve and join extra gamers than ever. From the day it launched to right this moment, PS5 has redefined what play can imply for creators and the neighborhood alike.
Right here’s to 5 unimaginable years of play – and to the hundreds of thousands of gamers who made them unforgettable!
*All figures are based mostly on inside knowledge collected as of September 2025.
