@trunkswd: I've seen that the lifetime sales numbers for the PS2 on Platform Totals secretly have changed from 157.68 to 158.7 mil. Was this number updated because finally someone had time to update the Platform Totals? I can remember that you said that the Platform Totals weren't updated for a long time because nobody had time so far/there was bug or something too iirc. Or was this number for the PS2 changed because you came across more accurate final sales numbers? I can remember that some months ago we had a discussion about the definitive final sales numbers for the PS2.

In this discussion the following link at resetera was mentioned: https://www.resetera.com/threads/what-was-the-lifetime-sales-of-the-ps2-not-158m-update-between-159-2m-and-161-9m.77277/ The conclusion there with the last official shipping numbers from Sony for the PS2 (which were packed up with the PS3 numbers by Sony) was that it must have sold 158.6 mil. at minimum and 161 mil. at maximum. It was generally agreed that the number must most likely be more near the lower spectrum which would put it in line with the updated VGChartz number of 158.7 mil.

Any insight from you regarding the updated number would be very much appreciated.

(P.S.: I also noticed that you changed the numbers for the Nintendo DS which is now in line with the official number from Nintendo at 154.02 mil. [VGChartz had it a bit higher])

A year 6 total of over 20 million would be insane. What other systems have ever done this? I assume DS, but anything else?

That doesn't really have any bearing on what I said though.

PS2's accomplishments do not take away from what other systems like the Switch have achieved or will achieve. 

Over 20 million in a system's 6th year would be a phenomenal victory for any system regardless.

I think one other reason why the PS2 was so successful is that it was the first console generation where graphics looked impressive even to those who laughed at games so far and declared them as kids' stuff. For the first time, console games looked graphically on par with arcade games with impressive special effects and clear voice output. Therefore, many adult former non-gamers bought a PS2 just because they were impressed by the graphics and the games actually looked like adult entertainment. Of course, the Dreamcast was the first of this graphically impressive generation but non-gamers didn't noticed this console.

The DS 6th full fiscal year was 17.53m according to official shipments from Nintendo and that is the highest ever FY6 beating out PS2's 16.22 million in 05-06. Of course calendar year and sell through numbers will differ a little.

Far out, so Switch is very likely headed for the best 6th year any system has ever had.

I think so, Switch Shipped 4.11 million from Jan-Mar which is extremely healthy for a non holiday quarter and shows demand is still high. 4 million for a non holiday quarter always amounts to a 20 million plus year, 4 million x 3 quarters plus a 10 million holiday = 22 million. If switch sells another 4 million for the Apr-June quarter then it will be 8 million for the  first half of the CY and it's a done deal that it will sell 20+million for the CY.

PS2 sales trajectory is an anomaly that will never be repeated, from years 1 to 6 PS2 sold around 104m and from 7 onwards over 50m. The DS from years 1 to 6 sold 146.5m and from year 7 onwards just 7.5m. It's crazy how PS2 ended up outselling the DS when the DS' prime years were so much higher than PS2's prime years, for example the DS' fourth highest selling year was higher than the PS2's highest selling year by one million (23.5m to 22.5m). But those were some seriously badass legs that the PS2 had.

PS2 (and GCN and Xbox) where the point where 3D graphics where good enough (as in having an effect on gameplay and gameplay possibilities), ever since it has been a race of diminishing returns with increase in pixel count and details, but that are things that do not effect gameplay.  

PS2s incredible post-PS3 sales were a three-fold factor.

1. New markets. The PS2 was released in markets that did not have official releases yet by any company before.

2. PS3 had a very slow start. It wasn't as accepted by the public or dev/pubs as the PS2 was. There was a not a graceful transition. PS3 was very expensive, PS2 was not (see next).

3. Price. PS2 had massive price cuts. Sub $100 price points in most markets. This made it an easy impulse buy, second console, replacement, etc...compared to the $500-$600 PS3. New generation consoles and old generation consoles no longer have such huge price disparities meaning the older consoles (combined with backwards compatibility) aren't seen as a high demand market anymore.