Why Playstation 2 is Outselling PSP and Playstation 3

The Playstation 2 is currently outselling both the PSP and the Playstation 3. This is significant because it has been nearly nine years since it launched. So how is the Playstation 2 managing to beat out the PSP and Playstation 3 for the best-selling video game system from Sony currently? Here are a few factors that contributed to this phenomenon.

Cost of Playstation 3 Development
The Playstation 2 wouldn't be the best-selling current console from Sony without help from third-party developers. Developing for the Playstation 3 is pretty impressive because of expectations. Consumers mainly buy Playstation 3 games expecting it to sport high-definition graphics in addition to over-the-top production values. This elevated the budget of games to tens of millions of dollars. Not to mention that many developers stated that the Playstation has been difficult to work on due to its complicate structure. As a result, many developers decided to stick to systems where expectations and, more importantly, budgets weren't as high.

PSP and Nintendo Wii Ports
Games that were thought to appear on the Playstation 3 usually ended up on the PSP and Nintendo Wii instead. This is a big plus for the Playstation 2 as both video game systems are pretty similar to it in terms of visual prowess. So although it may not be getting any new exclusive releases anymore, the Playstation 2 still get more than enough multiplatform titles to keep the system selling. With the constant stream of new game releases, Sony's second video game system is outselling its successors.

User Base
The Playstation 2 also has a big user base advantage over the PSP and Playstation 2. While the PSP recently surpassed the 50 million mark, the Playstation 3 is doing worse with less than half of the user base compared to its handheld counterpart. Meanwhile, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game system ever with more than 140 million units on the market.

One of the advantages to being the most popular systems on the market is that it gets the latest and greatest games in the industry (especially during the Playstation 2's prime years). Simply put, the Playstation 2 has more high-quality games than the PSP and Playstation 3. So it should come at no surprise that it is currently outselling both of its successors.

Price Drop
Finally, the Playstation 2 also has the upper hand with the price point. The cheapest PSP model retails for $169.99 while the Playstation 3 is currently priced at $399.99. Thanks to a recent price drop, the Playstation 2 is now selling for just $99.99. So unless Sony decided to drop the price of the PSP and Playstation 3, you can expect the Playstation 2 to outsell both systems for the foreseeable future.