Despite being plagued by restocking issues that prevented many would-be buyers from getting their hands on one, the PS5 is officially the fastest-selling console in US history

This is according to the NPD Group, which regularly compiles data from retailers, and says that the PS5 is the fastest-selling gaming console in terms of both units and sales value in the first five months after its launch No specific numbers have been released, but the PS5 will sell 45 million units in 2020, and Sony previously claimed that it plans to sell 76 million units by the end of March

Mat Piscatella, executive director of NPD, announced the news on Twitter last week While some industry analysts have argued in the past that mobile gaming will be the dominant force, the huge success of the PS4 and now the PS5 suggests that console gaming is very much alive and well

Video game hardware sales last month totaled $680 million, breaking the long-standing record of $552 million set in March 2008 The previous record was boosted by the Nintendo Wii at the height of its popularity, and now the PS5 is similarly enjoying seismic demand from gamers desperate to purchase the machine [Interestingly, the PS5 was not the best-selling hardware platform in March That honor went to the Nintendo Switch, which topped the list in both units sold and value earned; looking at Q1 2021, the Switch was actually the best-selling console of the year, but PS5 sales were the highest

These numbers are even more impressive when you consider the disastrous restocking of the PS5, which has been incredibly difficult to actually purchase since its launch, with supply issues due to the ongoing global chip shortage and overwhelming demand causing retailers to struggle to keep more than a few minutes of stock

It will be very interesting to see how well the PS5 would have sold if Sony had been able to supply the console at a more regular pace Nevertheless, the Japanese tech giant must be very happy with these numbers, and demand for the console will only increase as we move into the second half of the year

If you're still trying to track down a PS5 yourself, be sure to bookmark our guide to where to buy one It will save you from endlessly hitting the F5 key on retailer websites