THE CRUNCH
Sony's gaming division posted a strong quarter even as PS5 consoles remain expensive and hard to find. The company sold 2.6 million PS5 units in Q2 2026, down from 4 million a year earlier, but game sales and PlayStation Network services grew enough to lift revenue nine percent and profits 83 percent year-over-year. Software sales reached 708.5 billion yen (about $4.48 billion), up from 629.3 billion yen ($3.98 billion) in the same 2025 period, with 9.8 million more game units sold overall.
Digital downloads accounted for 78 percent of full-game software sales, up from 72 percent a year ago, a notable figure given Sony's digital distribution policies drew controversy earlier this year. Network services grew 19.5 percent to 218.3 billion yen ($1.38 billion). Among individual titles, Marvel's Wolverine sold 2.4 million copies as of November 4th, roughly 50 days after release, while Ghost of Yotei has moved 3.3 million units since its October 2025 launch.
The console shortfall is attributed to supply problems rather than fading interest. Sony has reportedly told distribution partners that "temporary market supply constraints and high demand" will keep retailer stock limited until next year, despite previously saying it had secured enough memory to meet demand. The PS5 Pro remains popular enough that some retailers have used lottery systems to deter scalpers.
That sets up a tricky holiday period. Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19th on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Sony is closing in on 100 million lifetime PS5 sales with 97.9 million sold since June 2020. Questions remain about whether the company can meet the console demand a major release tends to bring.