Sony shipped 8 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the final quarter of 2025, surpassing the Nintendo Switch 2 by 1 million units, though sales dropped 16 percent from the previous year. The company credits the game Ghost of Yotei for a significant contribution to these figures, alongside strong software sales. Overall, Sony has now shipped 92.2 million PS5 units worldwide.
Sony's latest earnings report, released in early February 2026, highlights a mixed performance for the PlayStation 5 during the key third quarter of its fiscal year, spanning October to December 2025. The company shipped 8 million PS5 units in this period, a figure that marked a 16 percent decline—or 1.5 million units fewer—compared to the 9.5 million sold in the same quarter the prior year. Despite the drop, Sony noted that the PS5 outsold the Nintendo Switch 2 by 1 million units in the latter half of 2025.
A bright spot was the role of new titles, with Sony stating that Ghost of Yotei made a 'significant contribution' to the hardware sales, supported by other live service games. Software performance was robust, with 97.2 million games sold in Q3, up from 95.9 million the year before. Digital sales accounted for 76 percent of these, a 2 percent increase year-over-year. The PlayStation Network also reached a record 132 million monthly active users.
This holiday slowdown follows stronger sales in the first two quarters of the fiscal year. The previous year's Q3 had been an outlier, boosted by the console's launch momentum since November 2020. Looking ahead, upcoming releases include Resident Evil Requiem on February 27, Avowed on February 17, and Bungie’s Marathon on March 5.
The dip in hardware sales has sparked questions about the PS5's lifecycle. While the PS4 lasted seven years before replacement, analysts suggest the PS5 could endure longer due to sustained demand, high RAM costs, and recent hardware updates. A future PS6 might offer triple the performance of its predecessor.
The gaming division still posted higher profits, aided by software gains and a favorable exchange rate from a low yen.
