The Sony best-selling home console brand of all time. These are the best-selling games on each of Sony's consoles.
The PlayStation line of systems might not have the first-party line-up of Nintendo, but it had something even better to sell its systems. The very first PlayStation acted as a CD player, while the PS2 was a DVD player, and the PS3 played Blu-ray discs. Sony had some amazing first-party games, but the PlayStation line hit it big through third-party titles and use as a multimedia device. It's still early days for the PS5, but it looks like it's following in the footsteps of its predecessors, as it's currently outpacing the Xbox Series X/S, though it has yet to catch up to the Nintendo Switch.
There are two systems missing from the following breakdown. The PlayStation 5 is still in its infancy, and Sony hasn't revealed any official figures regarding individual game sales. Sony also never gave an official count for the PS Vita. Mat Piscatella of the NPD Group confirmed that Uncharted: Golden Abyss was the best-selling Vita game in the US, but that only s for one region.
PlayStation's Best-Selling Game: Gran Turismo
The original PlayStation was almost topped by a JRPG, as the Final Fantasy VII was the second best-selling game on the system. This was the game that helped bring the JRPG genre to mainstream attention in the West, while also propelling the series into a global franchise that is still going strong to this day. Cloud Strife didn't win the race, however, as it was one of PlayStation's own franchises that dominated the original system.
According to VGChartz, the first entry in the Gran Turismo series sold 10.85 million copies around the world. FF7 sold 9.9 million copies, while Gran Turismo 2 took third place, with 9.37 million copies sold. Gran Turismo stood out from the crowd, as it was intended to be a true racing simulator, or at least as close as possible to one on the PlayStation's hardware. It went on to spawn a series that is considered one of the highlights of the PlayStation's library, but it has yet to be the best-seller on another system since the original game.
PlayStation 2's Best-Selling Game - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Sony owns a number of incredible video game franchises, including Ape Escape, God of War, Gran Turismo, Horizon Zero Dawn, Infamous, Jak and Dexter, The Last of Us, LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, Twisted Metal, and Uncharted. Take all of those franchises and set them aside, however, as the rest of this list is dominated by one company.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec made a valiant effort at taking the top spot, with its 14.89 million sales, but there was one unstoppable juggernaut that ruled the PS2. According to San Andreas was owned by a huge chunk of its base.
PlayStation Portable's Best-Selling Game - Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Rockstar's domination on Sony consoles was opposed by a different foe on the PSP, thanks to the incredible popularity of a Japanese series. The Monster Hunter franchise exploded in Japan on PSP, thanks to its nature as a local-play co-op multiplayer. There was a period of time where people would meet up in public to go on hunts together, or would casually play with strangers on public transportation. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite came close to dominating the PSP, but it lost out to a return to Liberty City.
According to Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, which sold 7.67 million copies. Liberty City Stories was a prequel to Grand Theft Auto 3, but it added elements from the later entries in the series, making it the perfect bite-sized entry in the series.
PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4's Best-Selling Game: Grand Theft Auto V
It seems as if Rockstar has to face a new competitor with each system, before taking down them with a Grand Theft Auto title released late in the lifespan of the console. The PlayStation 3's four best-selling games include three Call of Duty games and a Grand Theft Auto. According to front of the pack is Grand Theft Auto 5, which sold 20.36 million units.
It was clear that the hardware of the PS3 and Xbox 360 was just barely keeping up with GTA 5. The game then went on to dominate the next generation of consoles. According to best-selling game on the Xbox One. The fact that GTA 5 was the best-selling game on multiple generations and across different systems is a major achievement, and it's no wonder that it's the second best-selling game of all time, behind Minecraft.
The story isn't over for GTA 5 just yet, as Rockstar isn't done milking its cash cow. GTA 5 is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 11, and all evidence suggests that it will be a paid release and not a free update. There's a chance that GTA 5 could take another console generation's sales, assuming that the PlayStation 5 version is not usurped by the rumored GTA 6.
