PlayStation has increased its annual forecast following a rise in revenue from network services and first-party software.
Sony has revised its annual projection for its gaming division upwards following a rise in its net sales and operating income during the second quarter.
This upward revision is largely due to increased revenue from network services and significant sales of first-party games, including "Marvel's Wolverine," which achieved sales exceeding 2.4 million units.
Despite the strong software performance, hardware sales dipped as PlayStation 5 unit sales decreased. However, 2.6 million additional units were sold in the second quarter, raising total sales to 93.7 million overall.
First Half (ended September 30, 2026)
| Sony Corporation | Game & Network Services |
|---|---|
Net sales: ¥6.2 trillion ($39.1 billion, up 9.4%) |
Net sales: ¥2.1 trillion ($13.5 billion, up 2.9%) |
Operating income: ¥1.09 trillion ($6.8 billion, up 42.9%) |
Operating income: ¥422 billion ($2.6 billion, up 57%) |
Second Quarter (ended September 30, 2026)
| Sony Corporation | Game & Network Services |
|---|---|
Net sales: ¥3.4 trillion ($21.4 billion, up 10%) |
Net sales: ¥1.2 trillion ($7.5 billion, up 9%) |
Operating income: ¥622.3 billion ($3.9 billion, up 45%) |
Operating income: ¥220 billion ($1.3 billion, up 83%) |
Operating income in the Games & Network Services (G&NS) segment increased significantly, partly because it did not incorporate a ¥49.8 billion loss from the previous year, which included a $765 million impairment loss related to Bungie. When excluding these elements, operating income for G&NS rose by 29% over the quarter.
This growth in G&NS was fueled by increased sales of digital services and proprietary software. Game software revenue climbed 12.5% to ¥708.5 billion ($4.4 billion), with digital and add-on content sales totaling ¥643.9 billion ($4 billion). Physical game sales also saw a rise, up 21.7% to ¥43.1 billion ($272 million).
Since its launch on September 15, "Marvel's Wolverine" from Insomniac Games has been a significant hit, contributing notably to the segment's improved quarterly results by selling 2.4 million units.
Overall, period software sales included 88.2 million units, encompassing 8.2 million first-party titles.
Revenue from network services grew by 19.7% to ¥218.3 billion ($1.37 billion). The PlayStation Plus subscriber base reached 127 million active users, a milestone surpassing last year's count of 119 million, hitting a record high for September.
Meanwhile, revenue from hardware fell by 4.8% to ¥219.7 billion ($1.38 billion), attributed to a decrease in PlayStation 5 units sold, from four million in Q2 2025 to 2.6 million in this recent quarter.
Sony’s CFO Lin Tao highlighted that despite increasing costs in memory components, these were managed through strategic changes in pricing and promotions as well as implementing additional cost-saving measures.
Regarding future plans, agreements with suppliers have been solidified concerning the volume of memory required to meet anticipated sales for the upcoming fiscal year.
Forecasts for G&NS sales have been increased by 6% for the full fiscal year to ¥4.8 trillion ($30.3 billion).
Additionally, operating income forecasts are up by 6% to ¥700 billion ($4.4 billion), as noted by Tao, due to increased sales in third-party software and network services, accompanied by a reduction in expenses.
Looking forward to the next fiscal year, Sony aims to boost user engagement and revenue through the release of compelling titles and service expansion. The company also plans to advance preparation for its next-generation platform.