Sony’s PlayStation 5 has achieved a significant sales milestone, setting a new record with 20.8 million units sold in the financial year ending March 31, 2024. However, this figure narrowly missed the company’s ambitious target of 21 million units, which had been revised down from an initial goal of 25 million.
The PS5’s fourth-quarter sales of 4.5 million units marked a decline from the 6.3 million units sold during the same period the previous year. Despite this dip, the console’s third year on the market has been its most successful to date, surpassing previous financial years in terms of overall sales.
However, Sony has acknowledged the likelihood of a further sales decline in the coming year. The tech giant predicts that PS5 sales will drop to 18 million units during the console’s fourth year on the market, a significant decrease from the current record-breaking figures.
Despite the projected sales downturn, Sony expects its profits to rise by 7% due to reduced hardware losses associated with lower sales volumes. Additionally, the company anticipates higher revenue from its PlayStation Plus subscription service, which has continued to gain traction among gamers.
Countering this positive outlook is the expected negative impact of a decrease in sales of first-party titles. Sony has indicated that no new games from its major franchises, such as Spider-Man and God of War, will be released during the current financial year, potentially dampening consumer enthusiasm.
These financial projections come amid significant changes within Sony’s gaming division. In February, the company announced a substantial round of layoffs, affecting around 900 staff members, or approximately 8% of its global PlayStation workforce. The layoffs impacted several PlayStation studios, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Firesprite, and, most notably, the closure of PlayStation’s London studio. Alongside these workforce reductions, a number of in-development games were canceled.
The PS5, which launched in November 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has now sold a total of 59.3 million units worldwide. As Sony looks to the future, the company is expected to launch a PS5 Pro model later in 2024, potentially reigniting consumer interest and driving sales of the next-generation console.
While the PlayStation 5 has achieved remarkable sales success in its third year, Sony’s cautious projections and strategic shifts within its gaming division suggest a period of transition and adaptation as the company prepares for the next phase of the console’s lifecycle and the inevitable competition from rivals.
