Sony has announced its financial results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2021, revealing that it shipped another 3.9 million PlayStation 5s during the period. This brings PS5’s lifetime total to 17.3 million consoles shipped. Meanwhile, the PS4 shipped another 0.2 million units during the quarter, bringing its lifetime total to 116.8 million units shipped.
PS5 sales contributed to a record year for PlayStation
Sony’s PlayStation division boasts another record year, having earned the second highest quarterly revenue in its history (Q3 FY2020 being the biggest quarterly revenue ever). Not only did PlayStation post its best operating profit ever in a third quarter, the $7.15+ billion quarterly revenue figure is also its third best operating profit ever in any quarter.
On the software side, the PS4 and PS5 sold a combined total of 92.7 million games, 11.3 million of which are Sony-published games. PlayStation Store earned its second biggest quarterly revenue ever, making more than $3.80 billion from digital games and add-ons. Overall, PlayStation’s Software and Services division (which includes physical sales) earned over $4.96 billion – one of its best quarterly revenue figures ever. According to Sony, there are currently 111 million active PlayStation users, who spent an average of $42.37 each on PSN during Q3.
PS5 sales forecast is being lowered due to supply issues
Sony has revealed that it’s expecting lower PS5 sales than the October 2021 forecast because of “an expected decrease” in hardware sales “primarily due to shortages in the supply of components, especially semiconductors.” However, operating income is expected to increase than previously forecasted due to a general decrease in expenses.
Elsewhere, Sony confirmed that it plans to launch ten live service games by March 2026, but didn’t share any further details.
Opinion: PS5’s supply issues are unfortunate
Zarmena writes… As pointed out by Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, the PS5 has been unable to keep up with PS4 sales despite high demand due to supply shortages. In the same time frame, the PS4 sold 20 million units compared to the PS5’s 17.3 million. Sony’s revised forecast suggests that the company will continue to face supply constraints for the foreseeable future, which isn’t reassuring for those who’ve been struggling to get their hands on a PS5.
In other news, Battlefield 2042 has failed to meet sales expectations, and February’s PlayStation Now lineup has been revealed.
