Sony is anticipating record-breaking sales of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in the upcoming year, fueled by increased supply and the launch of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2. This prediction was shared by PlayStation business executive, Eric Lempel, during an interview with CNBC. Sony hopes to achieve its goal of shipping 25 million PS5 units in 2023, which if met, would surpass any previous PlayStation console’s annual sales.

Lempel attributes this optimism to Sony's successful production of PlayStation consoles well ahead of the important holiday season, coupled with the launch of Spider-Man 2, already the fastest-selling game from PlayStation Studios within a 24-hour period. Recalling the console's launch in 2020, Lempel acknowledged supply chain issues; however, he reassures that this holiday season will see PlayStation 5 fully stocked worldwide.

In addition, Sony anticipates increased PS5 sales towards the ambitious target of 25 million units for the year. The company started the current financial year with the sale of 3.3 million PS5s in the three months to June, higher than the 2.4 million units sold in the same period last year. A total of 40 million units have been sold since its November 2020 launch, slightly behind the PS4's sales.

Furthermore, Sony is gearing up for the introduction of the PS5 Slim, a more compact version of the console speculated to be released soon in the U.S. Also, the PlayStation Portal, the company's handheld streaming device, is set to debut on November 15, with the innovative PlayStation Access controller expected to follow later in the year.