Sony reported a mixed but resilient performance for its PlayStation business in FY25 Q3, with strong first-party software helping offset a slowdown in console hardware sales.
The company confirmed in its earnings report that Ghost of Yotei, released in October, exceeded the sales performance of its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima, over the same launch period. Sony said the game made a significant contribution to the quarter’s financial results, reinforcing the strength of its studio business.
While overall FY25 Q3 sales declined four percent year-on-year, primarily due to lower hardware unit sales, PlayStation software and services told a different story. Sony highlighted record software revenue on the PlayStation Store, driven by major third-party releases alongside strong first-party performance.
Live service titles such as Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show also delivered stable recurring revenue during the quarter, while PlayStation Plus continued to contribute meaningfully as more users shifted to higher subscription tiers. User engagement across PlayStation reached new highs, with monthly active users rising two percent year-on-year to a record 132 million in December. Total play time for the quarter increased 0.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
Sony added that although the year-end hardware market proved more challenging than expected, the PlayStation 5 installed base surpassed 92 million units on a cumulative sell-in basis, in line with its internal plans.
With the console now in the later stages of its lifecycle, Sony said it is prioritizing monetizing its existing user base through software and network services. Looking ahead, the company expects upcoming releases, such as Marathon, Saros, and Marvel’s Wolverine, to increase the revenue of their studio business.
Sony is also having their next State of Play on 12 Feb. 2026, which is an hour long, so the studio should have big reveals and updates on existing upcoming first-party and indie games.
