Sony has officially shipped 92.2 million PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles worldwide, marking another major milestone for the gaming giant. However, despite the impressive cumulative figure, the company reported a noticeable decline in PS5 shipments during the latest holiday season compared to last year.
According to Sony’s latest earnings report, the company shipped 8 million PS5 units in its third fiscal quarter, which traditionally includes the peak holiday shopping season. This figure represents a drop of 1.5 million units, or 16 percent, compared to the same period last year.
Interestingly, Sony’s first two quarters of the current fiscal year recorded year-on-year growth in PS5 sales, making the Q3 decline somewhat unexpected. Analysts note, however, that last year’s holiday quarter was an exceptional outlier, when Sony shipped 9.5 million units, the strongest performance since the PS5 launched in November 2020.
Despite the slowdown in hardware sales, Sony’s gaming division posted higher profits, driven largely by strong software performance and the continued weakness of the Japanese yen. During the third quarter, Sony sold 97.2 million games, up from 95.9 million in the same period last year.
Digital sales also continued to grow, accounting for 76 percent of total game sales, a 2 percent increase year-over-year. In addition, Sony revealed a new record of 132 million monthly active users on the PlayStation Network (PSN), highlighting the platform’s expanding ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Sony has a strong lineup of upcoming PS5 titles, including Resident Evil Requiem (February 27), Avowed (February 17), and Bungie’s Marathon (March 5), which could help sustain engagement and software revenue.
The dip in PS5 sales has also reignited discussions around Sony’s next-generation console. While the PS4 had a seven-year life cycle, industry analysts believe the PS5 may last longer due to steady demand, high memory costs, and recent hardware refreshes. However, when the PlayStation 6 (PS6) eventually launches, it is expected to deliver up to three times the performance of the PS5, signaling a major leap forward in console gaming.
