Sony just released Q1 FY2026 earnings, and I tell you, the numbers are really insane. The Gaming Division of Sony was on fire this season; in the fourth quarter, PS5 sales grew by a thin 4.1% to 2.5 million units. The fascinating thing is that around 80.3 million PS5 consoles have been shipped since their launch. Did you just see that? 80.3 MILLION! And to add to that, the Sony profits or operating income went up by 127%. What??
But wait-the sales figures stood at 65.9 million, up 23% on an annual basis, and the number of active monthly users on PlayStation Network went from 116 million to 123 million. That’s a whole lot of gamers logging in, grinding, and maybe just screaming at their screens during those intense multiplayer moments.
The reactions come into play now, as of course, there were opinions. Some were emphatic, with one by @MR_FG123 exclaiming that profit jump was crazy. On the thinking side, @p1zzabit mentioned that with 80.3 million PS5s shipped, the figure for software sales points out that most of the players are hardly buying any games, i.e., less than one game per console. Hmm.
Then comes the good old shipped vs sold. @katanaollie said that Sony has changed the narrative, leaning more towards “shipped” rather than “sold,” which might mean a lot of those PS5s could still be in the stores. @ASDFGQW12123, on the other hand, says that those on store shelves have little to no need of an amazing game release anymore since they are filling in moolah from PS4 era hit titles. Darn.
And then @STXRRGXZiiNG piled on: “the more consoles Sony sells, the less first-party games they put out. And @KosalamaKita dropped the bomb by saying PlayStation players are ‘starving’ for new exclusives.” On the other hand, @let_it_go_chill leaned towards positivity; “I hope they do well. All of them. We need good games.” A very peaceful moment in the midst of the console wars.
With that, we can talk about the classics now, something Mr. @omegazio would have called us all horribly. First, he goes PC and calls it a “rapist platform”; then he calls it a “cancer to PlayStation.” Yikes! Meanwhile, @hughjanus420___ and @wllmlew chuckled at the fanboys still fighting over plastic boxes.
And what do we stand for? Sony is making tons of money, and the players themselves are split on whether this actually means better gaming. Next year will be more insane with the arrival of GTA VI (and maybe PS5 Pro) for sure. Right now, the PS5 is an unstoppable juggernaut, for better or for worse.
And hey, if you are among those 123 million active PSN users, stop grinding for once in your life and appreciate this massive, somewhat chaotic gaming community. Just don’t go looking at your wallet after just dropping another 70 bucks on a game. Oops!
