Sony sold 2.6 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the quarter through September, down from 4 million in the same quarter of 2025. Its game division's operating profit rose 83% from a year earlier. The next test lands on November 19, when Grand Theft Auto VI launches.

The company raised its forecast for operating income by 15% on Thursday, to ¥1.87 trillion ($11.8 billion) for the year through March. Its shares rose 7% in Tokyo that day before it released the results.

What Changed

AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.

Content carries the quarter

Group operating profit was ¥622.3 billion in the July-September period, comfortably beating the average analyst expectation. Revenue was ¥3.43 trillion, also higher than estimates. Net profit climbed 44% to ¥449.60 billion (about $2.84 billion), from ¥311.4 billion in the same period last year.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, released in July, became the third-highest grossing movie in history by earning $2.52 billion at the global box office. Sony Pictures Entertainment posted earnings of $581 million for the three months through September, a 527% jump from $93 million in the same period of 2025. Streaming of Michael Jackson's music, co-owned by Sony, surged to roughly four times the usual level after the release of the biopic Michael.

Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Research and Advice Co. said: "Today's results clearly show the payoff from Sony's aggressive investment in content over the past several years, across movies, games and music. When Sony was more hardware-driven, its earnings were much more volatile."

Games grew as consoles fell

Software sales reached ¥708.5 billion ($4.48 billion), compared with $3.98 billion in the same 2025 period. Network services grew 19.5% to ¥218.3 billion ($1.38 billion). Digital downloads accounted for 78% of full-game software sales, up from 72% in the same period last year.

Marvel's Wolverine sold 2.4 million copies as of November 4, around 50 days after release. That total sits against a reported budget of $300 million. Its reception was mixed, yet market researcher Circana ranked it the best-selling game in the US in September.

PlayStation game sales increased for both digital downloads and physical discs. Sony has decided to end the manufacturing of PlayStation discs by January 2028. A week-long player blackout in August protested the plan.

Two accounts of the console drop

Sony CFO Lin Tao described falling PS5 sales as part of the natural cycle of console launches. "Although new PS5 unit sales are gradually declining as expected at this stage of the console life cycle, the PlayStation platform continues to expand and grow in a stable manner," Tao said.

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"The PS5 is already in the late stage of its life cycle, so Sony is in the fortunate position of not having to push hardware sales at any cost," Yasuda said.

The other account is about supply. The 2.6 million figure was likely limited by supply more than demand. A memory crisis and tariffs have made PS5 consoles expensive and hard to get. The upcoming debut of GTA VI has sparked a jump in US sales, especially for the PS5 Pro. Some retailers have resorted to lottery systems to side-step scalpers.

Stock runs short before the launch

Sony has sold 97.9 million PS5s since the console's June 2020 launch. The company previously said it had secured enough memory to fill demand. More recently, Sony reportedly told distribution partners that "temporary market supply constraints and high demand" would continue to limit retailers' console stock until next year.

Those supply accounts are hedged, one worded as likely and the other as reported.

Tao said the PlayStation 6 is "progressing as scheduled" and spoke of the work ahead next year: "we intend to make solid progress in preparing for the next-generation platform."

Frequently Asked Questions

How many PS5 consoles did Sony sell last quarter?

Sony sold 2.6 million PS5 consoles in the quarter through September, down from 4 million in the same quarter of 2025. Its total since the console's June 2020 launch stands at 97.9 million.

Why did Sony's profit rise while console sales fell?

Game sales and network services grew, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned $2.52 billion at the global box office. The game division's operating profit rose 83% year on year, and net profit for the group climbed 44%.

Why did PS5 sales fall?

Sony CFO Lin Tao described the decline as expected at this stage of the console life cycle. The 2.6 million figure was also likely limited by supply more than demand, with a memory crisis and tariffs making consoles expensive and hard to get.

Will there be enough PS5 consoles for Grand Theft Auto VI?

Sony reportedly told distribution partners that supply constraints and high demand would continue to limit retailers' console stock until next year. The game launches on November 19, and some retailers have resorted to lottery systems to side-step scalpers.

What did Sony say about the PlayStation 6?

Tao said the PlayStation 6 is progressing as scheduled, and that Sony intends to make solid progress next year in preparing for the next-generation platform.

AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.

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