Last year was an awkward time in gaming. There was a significant shortage of big-name games dropping into players’ laps, but Sony’s PlayStation brand rode high on several unexpected hits, namely Astro Bot and Helldivers 2. Most surprisingly, Sony said that PlayStation consoles sold well through 2024. We have to hope the company learns the right lessons. Based on the exec’s recent statements, it seems like it’s learning at least half of what it should have gleaned from 2024.
On Thursday, Sony released its third quarterly financial report on sales through Dec. 31, 2025. In that quarter, the Japanese tech giant sold 9.5 million PlayStation 5 consoles, bringing its total sales to 74.5 million. Sony launched the PS5 in 2020, its best quarter ever, at least in sales. The report doesn’t note the percentage of the new PlayStation 5 Pro. Still, industry analysts have said that the $700 Pro-level console was doing well despite its high price. As noted by EuroGamer, the PS5 sales were just shy of what the PlayStation 4 sold in the same number of months.
The gravy train keeps on rolling. Sony reported that games and console sales were up by 16% year-over-year. The company further claimed that over 40% of those who bought a console last quarter were new to the PS5. The number of users and overall playtime were up as well. Part of this can be attributed to the games. Sony specifically cited Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 and said they wanted to expand into more “titles for families and live service games.”
Astro Bot wasn’t just a family game; it was a really good game that even had Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president of Nintendo of America, telling the audience at the New York Game Awards how it “almost outdid Nintendo at its own game.” Helldivers 2 was another unexpected treat. It was a live service game that didn’t obsess over nickel and dining consumers. More than that, it had a solid gameplay loop with a unique and refreshing satirical tone.
Game executives largely have money on their minds, and they can’t look beyond the line going up to understand why games or consoles do well. There is nothing wrong with more family games on PS5, but Astro Bot proved that good games still sell. If Sony is thinking about more “live service” games, it should also take a lesson from the travesty of the hero shooter Concord. Players don’t just want another multiplayer co-op shooter; they want a good game.
There is a continuing lack of first-party, middle-market games that cost less, making them normally cheaper for consumers. They don’t require all the graphical finesse of a big-budget title, but players enjoy them all the same. It’s a good thing Sony is continuing to back Astro Bot. PlayStation announced Thursday it was adding even more levels to the platformer. A sequel is almost guaranteed at this point. We want to see more good games.
Sony’s first State of Play for 2025, shown late Wednesday, was a dry affair. We hoped to see a new trailer for Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, or anything—regarding that upcoming Wolverine game from Marvel’s Spider-Man developer Insomniac. So there weren’t many surprises, though at least players received an already-leaked trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, set to release Aug. 28. We also have a date for Borderlands 4 (Sept. 23).
The indie slate is looking interesting, at the very least. The State of Play featured some intriguing trailers for Hell is Us and Saros, the latter of which was made by Returnal devs at Housemarque. We may not see those games in 2025, and the anticipated Onimusha: Way of the Sword won’t arrive until next year. I’m not sure if a new Sonic Racer CrossWorlds will be able to compete against Nintendo for its upcoming Switch 2 Mario Kart sequel.
There are some good games coming to PlayStation 5 this year, but we’ll have to wait a while to see if any of them are more unexpected gems. Then again, maybe none of this matters. If Grand Theft Auto VI rolls around this year as promised, it will outsell any and all of these games by a wide margin.