Shortly after the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony revealed that 65.5 million PlayStation 5 units had been sold as of the end of the second quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, game console sales were down 1.1 million units year over year (and down 2 million units in total in 2024), which was 77.7 million units, an increase of 14.9 percent from Q2 2023. This was more than offset by game sales. Sony’s monthly active PlayStation Network users were still retained. 116 million, despite a significant price increase late last year.
What was the final result? Sales increased by 9% and operating profit increased significantly by 73% to 445.1 billion yen ($2.91 billion). Given these gains and the fact that the company is preparing a new, more expensive (and likely more profitable) console for Christmas, Sony is bullish about the rest of the year, with sales forecasts Revised slightly upward.
A big part of Sony’s game sales story has been the success of its action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, which reportedly sold 20 million copies (including the PC version) in the second quarter. Another strong performer was the first-party Astro Bot title, which demonstrated the power of hit games to drive sales.
There are still two quarters left in Sony’s fiscal year (ending March 31). Upcoming first-party titles expected before then include Assassin’s Creed Shadow and Monster Hunter Wild, both scheduled for February 2025. But Sony’s 2025 fiscal year, which begins in April, is a blockbuster with highly anticipated games like Ghost of Yorei, Death Stranding 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and Grand Theft Auto VI arriving late next year.
