Sony entered the 6th console generation with the PlayStation 2, which remains the best-selling video game console of all time. The system had an incredible shelf life, and throughout its run, publishers released over 4,000 games across various markets. North America had over 1,800, so the system had many global players. The PS2 boasted plenty of excellent franchises, many of which continue to this day, and several of which significantly outsold the competition. We looked through the records to find the system’s best-selling games, and while most are probably not going to come as a surprise, some might.
10) Final Fantasy XII
The Final Fantasy franchise may have launched with Nintendo, but it became an absolute beast on the PlayStation with the releases of Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. Unsurprisingly, the franchise continued to dominate on the PS2, with several titles achieving significant sales records. Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 and was a hit with fans. The game went on to win several awards, and it has since been re-released on various consoles, including the PS4. In Japan, it sold like hotcakes, outselling other markets by more than 550,000 copies. In total, players picked up over 5.94 million copies of Final Fantasy XII.
9) Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts launched the franchise in 2002 on the PS2, and it was a huge success. The game saw several re-releases that updated the format a bit, and it’s since been made available on all sorts of consoles and computers, including the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Kingdom Hearts is filled with characters and locations from Disney’s animated films, which appear alongside elements from the Final Fantasy franchise. It was a huge hit upon release, selling 6.4 million units. That achievement earned the franchise a Guinness World Record for “Best-selling video game starring Mickey Mouse,” as Kingdom Hearts outsold its successors.
When Hideo Kojima created Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, he improved on the existing franchise while simultaneously creating the archetype of the modern stealth game. There was absolutely no doubt that it would get a sequel, and it came in the form of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in 2001. The sequel was highly anticipated by fans, who scooped up copies as soon as it went on sale, and it’s since been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. It truly improved upon everything that came before, which was certainly an achievement in and of itself. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty sold over 7 million copies on the PS2.
7) Final Fantasy X
Square Electronic Arts released Final Fantasy X in 2001, which was the first game in the franchise to feature locations rendered entirely in 3D. Like its predecessors, the game’s release prompted the existing fandom to buy up copies, and its widespread critical acclaim likely brought new fans to the franchise. When it was released, Final Fantasy X sold best in Japan, where it moved over 3.2 million copies. Worldwide, the game sold over 8.5 million copies. It has since been re-released and received the HD Remaster treatment in the 2010s. If you combine all of its sales across the platforms, Final Fantasy X sold over 14.6 million copies.
6) Tekken 5
The PS2 featured plenty of excellent fighting games, and one of the best series on the system was Tekken. For most fans of the franchise, one of the best fighting games released on the PS2 was Tekken 5, which is also the best-selling fighting game on the console. The game featured better visuals, excellent region-specific voice acting, and an Arcade History Mode that included Tekken 1, 2, 3, and Starblade. Buying Tekken 5 in 2004 meant getting five great games in a single package, and it sold remarkably well. The total number of copies of Tekken 5 sold exceeds 9.43 million.
5) Gran Turismo 4
The Gran Turismo franchise is a PlayStation exclusive that’s done incredibly well since its debut on the PlayStation in 1997. Successive sequels improved the game’s mechanics, cars, tracks, customization, and pretty much everything else, and Gran Turismo 4 is no exception. The game was released in 2004, and it came loaded with content. The game boasts more than 720 cars, including the Daimler Motor Carriage from the 19th century. It also included concept cars from decades in the future (now past). Gran Turismo 4 was a critical and commercial success, moving 11.76 million copies on the PS2.
4) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Just one year after the release of GTA III, Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the PS2, where it absolutely smashed the competition. The game used the same engine as its predecessor, offering a new city to explore across a huge open world comprising two major islands. Unsurprisingly, it was a huge hit, both critically and commercially. In terms of PS2 sales, Vice City sold over 14.2 million copies, but according to Take-Two Interactive, the total sales, which could include Xbox and PC releases (it’s unclear from the earnings report), amount to 17.5 million.
3) Grand Theft Auto III
The first two Grand Theft Auto games were successful, leading to the franchise’s first 3D entry, GTA III. The game not only made GTA a massively successful franchise but it also served as a template for action-adventure games going forward, making it incredibly influential. Since its release, GTA III has been remastered and re-released on more modern consoles. When it was released in 2001, GTA III became the best-selling PS2 game and continued to sell well throughout the console’s life. According to Take-Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar Games, GTA III sold more than 7.3 million copies in the U.S., bringing its total worldwide sales to over 14.5 million.
2) Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
The third game in the Gran Turismo franchise, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, was released on the PS2 in 2001, though it was intended to be a launch title released the prior year. The delay was partly due to the devs deciding to use the console’s capabilities to the fullest, so A-Spec includes fewer cars than its predecessor, with only 180. The PS2 offered significant enhancements in mechanics, graphics, and sound over the PlayStation, and A-Spec went on to become a major success with both critics and players. The game sold over 14.89 million copies on the PS2, making it the second-highest-selling game on the system.
1) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The best-selling game on the PS2 is another entry from the GTA franchise, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The game was released in 2004 and, like its predecessors, introduced a new city to explore. San Andreas is a compilation of locations from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, and the map was huge. When it was released, San Andreas destroyed the action-adventure competition, and it has since been remastered and re-released. In terms of PS2 sales, San Andreas sold 21.5 million copies. If you take into account the game’s total sales, including remasters and re-releases, the number jumps to 27.5 million.
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