Sony has officially announced that PlayStation 5 has surpassed 61 million units sold globally. Despite this impressive milestone, the latest financial report reveals a 32 percent drop in hardware unit sales compared to the previous year.
In the most recent quarter, Sony sold 2.4 million PS5 consoles, down from 3.3 million in the same period last year and 4.5 million in the preceding quarter. This decline in hardware sales contrasts sharply with Sony’s rising software and network services profits. The company reported a 12 percent increase in overall game revenue year-over-year, leading to a 33 percent boost in profit.
The growth is attributed to an 18 percent increase in software revenue and a 25 percent rise in Network Services revenue, driven primarily by PlayStation Plus (PS Plus). Sony’s PlayStation Network continues to engage a substantial audience, with monthly active users reaching 116 million, up from 108 million last year, despite a slight dip from the previous quarter’s 118 million.
While software unit sales have decreased by five percent year-over-year, the surge in revenue and profit suggests an increase in game prices and a shift towards digital and premium content. This quarter featured notable releases such as the PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade, which sold a million copies by June’s end, along with the PC version of Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut and Destiny 2’s expansion, The Final Shape.
In comparison, Nintendo sold 2.1 million Switch consoles during the same timeframe, showing strong resilience in its seventh year. Meanwhile, Microsoft reported a 42 percent decrease in hardware sales for its latest quarter, indicating a broader trend of declining hardware sales across the gaming industry.
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