Key Highlights
- Sony increases full-year forecast for games revenue due to success in network services and game software segments.
- PlayStation 5 has sold up to 84.2 million lifetime units by the end of September 30, 2025.
- Ghost of Yōtei, Sony’s latest first-party title, has moved 3.3 million copies since its October 2 launch.
- Sony Corporation’s Game & Network Services division saw a significant increase in net sales and operating income during the first half of fiscal year 2025.
PlayStation Sees Strong Performance in First Half of Fiscal Year
In its latest financial results for the first half of its fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2025, Sony reported a significant increase in revenue for its Game & Network Services division. The platform holder has raised its full-year forecast for games revenue as a result of robust performance across network services and game software segments.
Network Services Boost
The success of network services, particularly PlayStation Plus, contributed significantly to the growth. Network service revenue increased by 13.7% to ¥182.6 billion ($1.1 billion) compared to ¥160 billion ($1.03 billion) in the previous quarter. Monthly active users on PS Plus also rose slightly to 119 million, a 2.5% increase from 116 million during the same period last year.
Game Software Sales
The game software segment saw an overall rise of 2.7% in net sales to ¥629.3 billion ($4 billion) compared to ¥612.3 billion ($3.9 billion) during Q2 2024. Physical software revenue improved by 2.9% to ¥35.3 billion ($228.7 million), while digital software and add-on content increased by 1.6% to ¥568.1 billion ($3.68 billion). This growth is attributed to the release of Ghost of Yōtei, which has sold 3.3 million copies in just 32 days since its October 2 launch.
Hardware Sales
PlayStation hardware sales also showed a positive trend with 6.4 million units moving during the first half of the fiscal year, an increase from 6.2 million sold during the same period last year. The company’s latest forecast for Game & Network Services revenue has been revised to ¥4.4 trillion ($28.5 billion) compared to the previously predicted ¥4.3 trillion ($27.8 billion).
Overall Financial Performance
The division’s net sales and operating income saw notable increases, with net sales reaching ¥5.7 trillion ($36.9 billion), up 3.5% year-on-year, and operating income at ¥768.9 billion ($4.9 billion), a 20.4% increase from the previous fiscal period.
Despite a slight dip in Q2 operating income of 13.2%, primarily due to impairment losses against Bungie’s intangible assets, Sony remains optimistic about its future prospects in the gaming industry. The company’s increased forecast for games revenue and strong sales figures indicate a continued push towards expanding its market share and diversifying its product offerings.
