Sony's PlayStation division reports a 43% increase in full-year operating income, reaching $2.8 billion
Sony has announced a significant increase of 43% in operating profit for its Games & Network Services (G&NS) sector, reaching ¥414.8 billion ($2.8 billion) in its latest fiscal year.
Throughout the year, Sony distributed 18.5 million units of the PlayStation 5, a number lower than the previous year’s 20.8 million units.
Financial Overview
Annual Results (12 months ending March 31, 2025)
- Total Net Sales: ¥12.04 trillion ($81.8 billion), an increase of 7% from the previous year
- Total Operating Income: ¥1.2 trillion ($8.1 billion), a rise of 23% year-over-year
- G&NS Net Sales: ¥4.6 trillion ($31.5 billion), a growth of 9% from last year
- G&NS Operating Income: ¥414.8 billion ($2.8 billion), up 43% from the previous year
Quarterly Results (Three months ending March 31, 2024)
- Net Sales: ¥2.8 trillion ($19.03 billion), a slight decrease of 0.14% year-over-year
- Operating Income: ¥215.2 billion ($1.4 billion), marking a 6% increase from the prior year
- G&NS Net Sales: ¥1.05 trillion ($7.1 billion), down 3% year-over-year
- G&NS Operating Income: ¥92.7 billion ($630 million), a decline of 12% from the previous year
Key Performance Indicators
For the year, Sony's G&NS division saw software sales rise by 14%, reaching ¥2.5 trillion ($17 billion). Of this, digital software and add-ons contributed ¥2.2 trillion ($15 billion), indicating a 16% increase. The total number of games sold jumped to 303.3 million from 286.3 million in the prior year, with the boost credited to higher third-party game and add-on sales.
While sales of third-party titles improved, first-party title sales fell from 39.7 million to 28.9 million units.
In the previous year, Sony launched titles like Astro Bot and released PC versions of Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon: Forbidden West, ahead of new releases such as Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Revenue from hardware dipped 6% to ¥1.6 trillion ($10.9 billion) due to fewer units sold, while income from network services, including PlayStation Plus, surged by 23% to ¥669.8 billion ($4.5 million). Meanwhile, monthly active users increased by 5% in Sony's fourth quarter, rising to 124 million from 118 million the previous year.
Looking forward, Sony anticipates a 3% decrease in overall results to ¥11.7 trillion ($79.9 billion). For its G&NS division, the company expects a 6.5% drop in revenue to ¥4.3 trillion ($29.2 billion), driven by ongoing challenges in hardware sales and foreign exchange fluctuations.
Sony also highlighted potential effects of US tariffs on its operating income, forecasting a reduction from ¥1.3 trillion ($8.8 billion) to ¥1.2 trillion ($8.2 billion) as a consequence.
Sony stated: "We are actively responding to the US tariffs that are currently in place and are preparing for a variety of potential future outcomes."