PS5 and Xbox Series vs PS4 and Xbox One Sales Comparison - December 2025 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 11 February 2026 / 7,530 Views
The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales comparison using our estimated video game hardware figures. The charts include comparisons between the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, as well as with older platforms. There are articles based on our worldwide estimates, as well as the US, Europe, and Japan.
This monthly series compares the combined aligned sales of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with the combined aligned sales of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launched in November 2020, while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launched in November 2013. This does mean the holiday periods for the two consoles do lineup.
PS5 and Xbox Series X|S vs PS4 and Xbox One Worldwide:
Gap change in latest month: 2,320,178 - PS4 & XOne
Gap change over last 12 months: 7,023,480 - PS4 & XOne
Total Lead: 15,458,187 - PS4 & XOne
Total Combined PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Sales: 123,611,259
Total Combined PS4 and Xbox One Sales: 139,069,446
In December 2025, the gap grew in favor of the combined sales of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when compared to the aligned launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in the last month by 2.32 million units.
In the last 12 months, the PS4 and Xbox One has sold 7.02 million units more than the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are currently behind by 15.46 million units.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in their first 62 months sold a combined 123.61 million units, while the PS4 and Xbox One have sold a combined 139.07 million units. Month 62 is December 2025 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while for the PS4 and Xbox One it is December 2018.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sold a combined 175.16 million units lifetime. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are 51.55 million units behind lifetime sales of the PS4 and Xbox One.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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The real question is: when does the cross between PS3/X360 happen?
It seems like it will be this holiday season.
These comparisons are pointless now since Xbox is pretty much out of the race and the majority of their games are going day and date on PS5. So no the PS5 decline is not very worrying at all considering it's only 2.2M behind PS4 with a big fiscal year still yet to come and a possible delay to the next gen as well. PS5 is in a pretty good position for the next 2 years.
Yeah, the platform wars ended but the "consoles are dying" arc has taken it's place. Basically, if your platform of choice is failing, try and convince everyone else that all consoles are failing
This is the first time both playstation and xbox have declined in a generation. Even if the ps5 ends up doing better then the ps4 is it going to be enough to make up for the loss on xbox. Are we going to see more and more players migrating to pc in the next generation. Sony will be fine for next gen or 2 but after that who knows.
You are literally one of two people left on this website still claiming Sony is in decline. You and the guy that always says "facts" at the end of his sentences. Everyone else doesn't even bother anymore. Why do you think that is? That's right, it's because they're clearly not.
Have you seen the prices of PC components like RAM and SSD's to name a few? Valve is scared as shit to announce a release date and price for their new console. That's where your linear thinking comes into play because you see a graph with PS and Xbox but not with PC's. PC spending was down last year as well you just don't see it in this graph but Matt Piscatella said it as well in the NPD charts back in November. I am also a member of the "PC Master Race" as well with my PS5 Pro. That's how I game but I am not blind to the fact that the whole industry is down due to the economy. How do you know automatically know that PC won't suffer next gen as well? It's just your bias looking at PS right now and bringing up PC in an article that has nothing to do with PC. Sony will be fine for the next gen or 2 and after, why? They are the only option for mainstream home consoles with a global name brand that is unbeaten. What you see on this website now for sales is the future for quite a while. PC, PS and Nintendo is the gaming industry. And right now the PS5 is the most successful Playstation console as per Sony themselves.
Interesting, I've seen so much about how pc gaming had a record breaking year last year and has grown year on year for years now. While this graph shows that console gaming in terms of players hasn't meaningfully grown in 20 years. If the entire industry is down that is even more worrying. People are potentially losing interest in gaming and there is no guarantee they will come back. Also are you really going to fall for that pr bs about the ps5 being the most successful console. That doesn't take into account inflation, rising prices of games, rising prices of consoles, sony releasing games on other platforms, the revenue from that period still includes ps4. That number was for sonys gaming division as a whole which is not solely the ps5.
Maybe everything will be fine. Maybe sony will blow everything away next gen and release the best selling console ever. I'm not saying I'm 100% right. I'm just seeing trends that worry me appear. I do hope the console industry starts to see growth in players again.
Over 15 million down on last gen is very worrying. While most of the fall is on the series x, the ps5 also being down is very worrying. The xbox decline has maybe only slowed sonys decline. Anyway I think I'll be part of the overall decline next gen, time to join the pc master race.
Ps5 ist down thou😅
Ps5 is over 2 million behind the ps4.
Yea ps5 also haf 2 years of massive shortages....FACTS
The gap grew by 250,000 in December and almost 800,000 in the last 12 months.
The point is not whether or not the ps5 outsells the ps4, but the overall decline with both consoles.
The shortages are over, so anyone who wants a PS5 can just go get one now and for the past 3 years. That argument holds no ground today. Would have the PS5 sold more in it's first 2 years if there was no shortage? Yes, but that will lead it's 3rd and 4th year to have less sales than what they had. So either way the PS5 would have sold this much shortage or not.
you are forgetting COVID. You also are forgeting rising prices and current economic pandemonium with trump adm.
But still, PS5 is almost tied with ps4. Imo, this shows strength for Playstation, not weakness.
I think people are focusing too much on sony here. I am talking about an overall decline in the console market. Traditionally when 1 console declines the other increases to make up for the decline. Funnily enough economic pandemonium has never really had a huge negative effect on gaming in the past. While covid effected some things negatively it also increased demand for gaming as a whole. Regardless of what the reasons are there is no guarantee that the people who have not bought into this gen will suddenly start buying into the next.
