Sony Aims To Sell 15 Million PS5 Units This Year, but Is Shifting Focus to Monthly Active Users

Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
During the quarterly financial conference call, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki and CFO Lin Tao talked about the state of the PlayStation business and the strategy and targets going forward.

Totoki-san mentioned during the livestreamed presentation that the PlayStation business is doing "extremely well." The expansion of PS5, both in the number of active users and in spend per user, is "is "expected to continue and drive steady profit."

Looking ahead, Sony seeks to capitalize on its momentum to drive "stable, profitable growth" and "invest thoughtfully to create the future of play."

Sony expects to see stable growth in revenue of profits for the network business due to the growth of monthly users corresponding to the further expansion of the PS5 installed base.

Specifically, the company expects higher revenue and profits from PlayStation Plus and aims to maximize ARPU (average revenue per user) of the PlayStation Store through personalization and pricing optimization.

In the current fiscal year (between April 2025 and March 2026), Sony expects further growth for its first-party studios business due to user expansion driven by single-player narrative games like Ghost of Yōtei and live service games like Marathon, on top of the continued success of games that have already been launched and ongoing live services like Helldivers 2 and Destiny 2.

Sony also plans to focus on "stronger, profitable peripherals," such as PlayStation Portal, on which the recently introduced beta cloud streaming allows users to enjoy games on the go more easily.

Totoki-san also mentioned Sony's responses to the tariffs imposed by the United States, explaining that PlayStation has been making preparations, such as diversifying PS5 Hardware production sites and stockpiling inventory in the US.

The company expects to implement additional measures at the appropriate time, after assessing any changes in the situation going forward.

Responding to a question later in the call, Tao mentioned that Sony produces PS5 and its peripherals in four countries. While a large part of said production is in China, the supply chain has been diversified.

She also added that, at the moment, the inventory present in the US is enough for three months of distribution.
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Tao mentioned that during the past 14 quarters, monthly active users for PlayStation have always been increasing year-on-year. PS4 continues to be used actively, and that's a pretty conspicuous difference from previous generational shifts.

As the installed base of PS5 continues to increase, the transition from PS4 to PS5 will continue to happen, on top of the influx of many new users. That's why Tao is confident that monthly active users will continue to increase even if PS5 sales may slow down.

She also added that in the current fiscal year (between April 2025 and March 2026), Sony expects to ship 15 million PS5 units, which would bring the total lifetime sales for the console as of March 31, 2026, to 92.7 million units.

That being said, she cautioned that this prediction isn't set in stone because there is a lot of uncertainty in the market environment, including the tariffs.

As such, rather than looking at unit sales as a key metric, the company wants to look at the entire market and have a flexible approach to shipments. To a further question, Tao mentioned that the focus has shifted from PS5 units sold to monthly active users, which she indicated as a "major change in policy."

Focusing on engagement and monthly active users rather than units sold is leading to profitability.

Speaking of the current fiscal year's first-party lineup, Tao mentioned that Sony expects Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2 to do well among the fans since they're sequels. Marathon involves a margin of risk since it's a new genre for the company, so Sony has included reasonable expectations for it in its forecasts.

Sony is also expecting solid performance for third-party games, and has not included any revenue from GTA6 in its forecasts, since it has been delayed to May 2026, which is beyond the end of the fiscal year.

Tao also explained what has been changed recently

Answering a question from the Media, Totoki-san mentioned that manufacturing the PS5 in the United States is something that would have to be carefully considered going forward, and the situation isn't that critical for now.
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simulationdaily.com

Sony Aims To Sell 15 Million PS5 Units This Year, but Is Shifting Focus to Monthly Active Users - Simulation Daily

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki and CFO Lin Tao talked about the state of the PlayStation business and the strategy and targets going forward.
simulationdaily.com simulationdaily.com
 
mayham2199 said:
I thought this was done awhile back.
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Think that was when they started including MAUs in financial reports, but not necessarily as an indication of overall performance. They are calling this a "major change in policy". Hopefully they will continue to report console numbers though.
 
dQZ6DB9.jpeg
 
If I understand this behaviour from Microsoft, focusing on MAU means they know hardware sales aren't keeping pace, so they're shifting to a metric they believe indicates higher potential for profitability for their investors.
 
Shifting to active users means they want to focus on live services. So whoever keeps waiting for Sony to deliver single player games for next gen, will be waiting forever. They are stubborn to become the next Ubisoft.
 
Topher said:
Eh....don't really see the same thing here as far as reporting performance, but either way, what they are saying now is much more explicit.
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Read the second paragraph again, that's essentially what it hints at shifting to a business where users' playtime is more important than hardware and software sold. I remember when this was discussed last year, though I can't find that thread.
RCU005 said:
Shifting to active users means they want to focus on live services. So whoever keeps waiting for Sony to deliver single player games for next gen, will be waiting forever. They are stubborn to become the next Ubisoft.
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Martin Lawrence Lol GIF by Martin
 
RCU005 said:
Shifting to active users means they want to focus on live services. So whoever keeps waiting for Sony to deliver single player games for next gen, will be waiting forever. They are stubborn to become the next Ubisoft.
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Make sense when live services also help sell PS plus subscription
 
MAU they say? Then bring us back classic Sony IP like for example Twisted metal, Killzone, Socom, Warkhawk, Syphon Filter, and Resistance with multiplayer options (Not GAAS but just like Battle Field and COD) for replay value but still with single player story and campaign.
 
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nial said:
Read the second paragraph again, that's essentially what it hints at shifting to a business where users' playtime is more important than hardware and software sold. I remember when this was discussed last year, though I can't find that thread.
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"Essentially" yes. As I said, what they are saying now is much more explicit. They are calling this a "major change in policy" now.
 
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Topher said:
"Essentially" yes. As I said, what they are saying now is much more explicit. They are calling this a "major change in policy" now.
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That's fair, it's just that I wouldn't call this a major recent development. This is where Sony was leaning to once Tsuyoshi Kodera (pretty much a services guy) was at the helm in late 2017, and you can notice that from the IR reports around that time.
 
nial said:
Read the second paragraph again, that's essentially what it hints at shifting to a business where users' playtime is more important than hardware and software sold. I remember when this was discussed last year, though I can't find that thread.

Martin Lawrence Lol GIF by Martin
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So engagement?
 
nial said:
That's fair, it's just that I wouldn't call this a major recent development. This is where Sony was leaning to once Tsuyoshi Kodera (pretty much a services guy) was at the helm in late 2017, and you can notice that from the IR reports around that time.
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I get what you are saying. They have vaguely talked about his before, certainly. I guess we won't really know what this "major change in policy" means until we see the policy in action. Hopefully nothing drastic. "Engagement" can be so arbitrary.
 
They will switch back to sales after Marathon comes out instead of active users
 
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There is still a significant amount of users still on PS4. Many people that only play sports games, CoD and/or GTA. I wouldn't be surprised if at least 30m users are part of that crowd.

This is why GTA VI will be so important next year. Its pretty much the only game that would get people still on PS4 to go to PS5.
 
For single player games, constant dlc and expansions like for example sidestory, new side quest, new weapons, extra endings, and new locations and scenarios, is the answer to keep the player interested on a specific game.

Well speaking of that, I'm still waiting for Stellar blade DLC story and expansion
(Raven and Tachy please)
, not just cosmetics. Or how about the Silent hill 2 remake DLC, like the Born from a wish DLC sidestory. :messenger_beaming:
 
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RCU005 said:
Shifting to active users means they want to focus on live services. So whoever keeps waiting for Sony to deliver single player games for next gen, will be waiting forever. They are stubborn to become the next Ubisoft.
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its been said many times that the console climate is changing. Console makers are deploying their everywhere now. Last gen, multiplatforms, PC, streaming etc
 
ZehDon said:
If I understand this behaviour from Microsoft, focusing on MAU means they know hardware sales aren't keeping pace, so they're shifting to a metric they believe indicates higher potential for profitability for their investors.
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Thats not it at all for Sony since console sales are keeping pace with PS4, its more that they haven't seen console ownership growth since the PS2, this has been a gradual shift since the PS3 era, they just had to focus on fixing their fuck ups of the PS3 and weren't focusing on this.

With the introduction of services like PS Plus and the majority of games being played today being F2P, it got more and more important....it's also why they're still trying with live service games.
 
Makes sense when your biggest games are still very active on the PS4, 5 years in to the generation, and you can't make your console cheaper like you used to. Plus they will be aiming for a long cross gen period like they had with the PS4 -> PS5.
 
tmlDan said:
Thats not it at all for Sony since console sales are keeping pace with PS4...
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PS5 is now roughly a million units behind PS4, launch aligned, and the PS5 has another price increase coming which will stall adoption even further. Without a good reversal - which would require cheaper hardware, which isn't coming, and lots of games that would entice the uncommitted, which Sony don't seem interested in making - Sony knows the PS5 likely won't match the PS4's install base, which would be a death sentence for investor profit forecasts. Changing focus to MAU shifts the investor mentality; ROI isn't about selling hardware, it's about user engagement. Microsoft did the same thing for the same reasons. The rest of your post is irrelevant; Sony would have done this during the PS4 era if their internals projected an install base retraction, just like Microsoft did it when they saw their own retraction during the Xbone era.
 
ZehDon said:
PS5 is now roughly a million units behind PS4, launch aligned, and the PS5 has another price increase coming which will stall adoption even further. Without a good reversal - which would require cheaper hardware, which isn't coming, and lots of games that would entice the uncommitted, which Sony don't seem interested in making - Sony knows the PS5 likely won't match the PS4's install base, which would be a death sentence for investor profit forecasts. Changing focus to MAU shifts the investor mentality; ROI isn't about selling hardware, it's about user engagement. Microsoft did the same thing for the same reasons. The rest of your post is irrelevant; Sony would have done this during the PS4 era if their internals projected an install base retraction, just like Microsoft did it when they saw their own retraction during the Xbone era.
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Agree. Also MAU also goes more in line with Sony's multiplatform incursion, since they have gamers engaged in their games on other devices besides their own hardware.
 
ZehDon said:
PS5 is now roughly a million units behind PS4, launch aligned, and the PS5 has another price increase coming which will stall adoption even further. Without a good reversal - which would require cheaper hardware, which isn't coming, and lots of games that would entice the uncommitted, which Sony don't seem interested in making - Sony knows the PS5 likely won't match the PS4's install base, which would be a death sentence for investor profit forecasts. Changing focus to MAU shifts the investor mentality; ROI isn't about selling hardware, it's about user engagement. Microsoft did the same thing for the same reasons. The rest of your post is irrelevant; Sony would have done this during the PS4 era if their internals projected an install base retraction, just like Microsoft did it when they saw their own retraction during the Xbone era.
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You'r right...and it used to be higher, lol. The gap is decreasing, not increasing. That said, i can fell the PS5 getting farther away from the PS4 this year. But it will catch up next year.
 
ZehDon said:
PS5 is now roughly a million units behind PS4, launch aligned, and the PS5 has another price increase coming which will stall adoption even further. Without a good reversal - which would require cheaper hardware, which isn't coming, and lots of games that would entice the uncommitted, which Sony don't seem interested in making - Sony knows the PS5 likely won't match the PS4's install base, which would be a death sentence for investor profit forecasts. Changing focus to MAU shifts the investor mentality; ROI isn't about selling hardware, it's about user engagement. Microsoft did the same thing for the same reasons. The rest of your post is irrelevant; Sony would have done this during the PS4 era if their internals projected an install base retraction, just like Microsoft did it when they saw their own retraction during the Xbone era.
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but GTA6, trust in the GOAT, TRRRUST

Regardless, your post was also irrelevant because Sony is not in the same situation as MS is.
 
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If they want to engage more players then give us something worth playing. I havent used my PS5 since last year. I have zero interest in remasters and there hasnt been any exclusives lately. I may have to dust it off for Death Stranding 2 though.
m4aIIaE.png
 
Tiago Rodrigues said:
You'r right...and it used to be higher, lol. The gap is decreasing, not increasing. That said, i can fell the PS5 getting farther away from the PS4 this year. But it will catch up next year.
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That's why I highlighted the looming PS5 price increase - Sony knows what's coming. By now, the PS4 had affordable hardware to push further adoption. Not only does the PS5 not have an affordable option, it's literally more expensive now than when it launched - and the only new hardware Sony's put is the most expensive console they've ever made. Much like with the PS+ price hikes when they re-organised their services to compete with Game Pass, Sony knows their inflated prices push away customers. They're happy to have less customers if its means they can make more from the ones they retain. This is why they're shifting to MAU - they won't make new customers, they'll just milk existing ones to make more money, and that's what they're pitching to investors.

tmlDan said:
... Regardless, your post was also irrelevant because Sony is not in the same situation as MS is.
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If it was irrelevant you wouldn't have responded to it. And "Sony is not the same" has almost become a mantra at this point.
 
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ZehDon said:
.

If it was irrelevant you wouldn't have responded to it. And "Sony is not the same" has almost become a mantra at this point.
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What's become a mantra is this #sonytoo movement around here. Just relax, they're not about to squander the whole home console market they dominate by following Xbox to the grave. They'll be fine.
 
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QLQ said:
... Just relax, they're not about to squander the whole home console market they dominate by following Xbox to the grave. They'll be fine.
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Perhaps, but don't forget that Sony has squandered absolute market domination before. In fact, with the PS3, they nearly ceded the whole damn thing. "Arrogant Sony" is a meme for a reason - and they just finished winning the console wars once and for all. I don't expect good things.
 
ZehDon said:
Perhaps, but don't forget that Sony has squandered absolute market domination before. In fact, with the PS3, they nearly ceded the whole damn thing. "Arrogant Sony" is a meme for a reason - and they just finished winning the console wars once and for all. I don't expect good things.
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of course you don't lol
 
Maximum Revenue Per User - I absolutely do feel like a wallet waiting to be exploited every time I boot up my PS5. They really want to squeeze the last tiny cent from us.

It's night and day compared to using Steam. The latter feels like made for my needs, the former feels like made for Sony shareholder needs.
 
nial said:
He's right, Sony stated last year that the shift took place once the PS5 generation began.
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ceSqhR4.png

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It's almost like there is a user-base of around 190 million


But people want to pretend like PS4 no longer exist lol

oegYtDd.png


Post in thread 'Current circumstances seems to be positioning PS5 to catch it's 2nd Wind in the next few years & become Sony's 2nd best selling console.' https://www.neogaf.com/threads/curr...d-best-selling-console.1683987/post-270411167
 
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