The PlayStation 5 (PS5) has achieved significant success by surpassing 75 million units sold, according to data released by Sony this past week. This milestone was reached following record performance during the 2024 holiday season, with 9.5 million consoles shipped during the last quarter of the year. According to the company’s financial results for the period ending December 31, 2024, the PS5 recorded its best quarter since its launch, trailing just 200,000 units behind the record set by the PlayStation 4 during the same stage of its lifecycle.
Over the first nine months of the fiscal year, Sony shipped 15.7 million units. The company projects it will reach 18 million sales by March 2025, which means needing to sell just under 2.5 million units over the coming weeks to meet this target.
The sales figures also include the newly launched PS5 Pro, released in November 2024, though Sony has not disclosed specific numbers for this model. Notably, 42% of the units sold last quarter were purchased by new users, which has contributed to the growing number of active players on the platform. Monthly active users surged to 129 million, marking a 5% increase from the prior year and representing a staggering 43% rise compared to the same stage of the PS4's lifecycle.
This growth has been attributed to strong game launches and expanded services on the platform. The company also reported revenue growth within its Gaming and Network Services division, which climbed 12% year-over-year, generating around $761 million. The revenue from PlayStation Plus grew by 20%, spurred by subscribers migrating to higher-priced plans.
The digital game sales saw considerable spikes as well. During the last quarter, consumers purchased 95.9 million titles, up from 6.2 million compared to the previous year. Digital games accounted for 74% of total sales, surpassing the 66% recorded during the same period last year.
The holiday season of 2024 marked the best performance for Sony's PS5, with stable overall production and product shipment achieving lucrative outcomes. The results signify the console's capability to retain competitive relevance against previous generations.
Comparing the PS5's success to the PS4, the new console is currently only 1.5 million units behind the PS4's sales of 76.5 million units reached during the same period of its lifecycle. The PS5 continues to bask under lucrative seasonal sales, particularly highlighting revenue generation through third-party games, subscription services, and additional microtransactions.
The operational income surged by 37% year-over-year, reaching about $766 million, marking another record-high for the third quarter. Analysts observe this leap attributes predominantly to gameplay diversity offered this fiscal year, even with high-profile first-party launch titles like Marvel Spider-Man 2 released the previous year.
Looking to the future, Sony signals its intent to broaden its audience base by promoting family games and service titles. The company highlighted the successes of games like Astro Bot and Helldivers 2, creating anticipation for upcoming releases such as Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei, both set for launch within the year.
By affirming “high expectations” for forthcoming titles, the PS5 is cementing its place as one of the most successful gaming consoles, establishing itself on the global market with impressive sales figures and increasing engagement levels.