PS5 has biggest ever console launch in UK according to a report

A new report claims the PS5 had the biggest launch ever for a console in the UK.

The new report comes from VGC, speaking to several publishing sources with knowledge of Sony's sales figures. The PS5 UK sales "far exceeded" that of the PS4, which was the previous record-holder with 250,000 units sold in the first 48 hours on the UK market.

By far the more popular version of the PS5 was the disc model. The more expensive version of Sony's next-gen console accounted for around two-thirds of the total launch sales of the PS5 in the UK, roughly doubling sales of the cheaper disc-less model.

Of course, Sony hasn't released any official sales figures for the PS5, in any region around the world. Last week, another report claimed that the PS5 was on course for a record-breaking launch, and even before that, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan revealed that there were more PS5 consoles on sale this year than there were PS4 units when the console launched in 2013.

That doesn't mean the launch of the PS5 has gone smoothly, however. On November 19 when the PS5 launched in the UK, multiple Amazon UK customers reported receiving household goods like pet food and air fryers instead of the new console. The claims were so widespread that the BBC Watchdog is stepping in to try and get answers from Amazon as to when the customers can expect to receive the consoles that they paid for.

Looking ahead though, Sony has already stated that there will be more PS5 units available for purchase through official retailers before the end of 2020. That's good news, and Ryan previously stated that Sony expects the PS5 to outsell the PS4's launch of 7 million units by April 2021.

If you're still trying to get your hands on Sony's next-gen console, or any accessories for the new machine, head over to our PS5 deals guide for an up-to-date guide on retailers with expected stock.