Sony is starting to feel the pinch of console price hikes, as the last quarter--April 1 to June 30 of 2026--saw the company sell 1.6 million PS5s, a slight increase when compared to the previous quarter that saw 1.5 million consoles sold. That's a steep decline of 36% when compared to the same period in 2025, and so far, PS5 lifetime sales have reached 95.3 million units sold. In comparison, the PS4 had moved 100.2 million units by the same point in its lifecycle, albeit with the help of regular discounts and the MSRP of the system decreasing over time.
The PS5 hasn't enjoyed the same benefits as its predecessor, as the ongoing shortage of RAM and other crucial components has resulted in PS5 console prices increasing instead of decreasing, a first for PlayStation hardware. Sony noted that revenue from hardware sales is also down by almost 10%, while software unit sales are up from 65.9 million to 66.1 million, year-on-year. Despite its decision to end PS5 disc production being met with almost-universal backlash, digital game sales also increased from 78% to 82% during Q1.
Monthly active user numbers are also up by 2 million, with Sony recording 125 million people using its services. Overall, sales are holding steady across game and network divisions, but profits did increase by 37% thanks mostly to US tariff refunds and favorable exchange rates. Nintendo also benefited from tariff refunds lately, but the company refuses to pass any refunds on to its customers.
Sony has also noted that it has "secured the quantity of memory necessary" for all the PS5 consoles it expects to manufacture and sell this calendar year. The next few months will be a crucial period for Sony, as the release of GTA 6 is expected to give the company a sales bump during the holiday season.
