Sony reported a significant increase in gaming sales for the fiscal third quarter, prompting the company to raise its revenue and profit forecasts for the full year. The announcement was made on February 13, 2025, following the release of their financial results for the December quarter, which highlighted strong performance in their gaming division.
- Sony raised revenue and profit forecasts.
- December quarter revenue reached 4.41 trillion yen.
- Game sales grew 16% year-over-year.
- PlayStation 5 sales increased to 9.5 million.
- Rival Nintendo reported weaker fiscal results.
- PlayStation 5 Pro released last year.
In the December quarter, Sony’s revenue reached 4.41 trillion Japanese yen ($28.6 billion), surpassing the expected 3.77 trillion yen, marking an 18% increase year-over-year. The operating income was 469.3 billion yen, also above the forecast of 404.21 billion yen, reflecting a 1% year-over-year increase. This strong performance allowed Sony to revise its fiscal full-year 2024 sales forecast to 13.2 trillion yen, up 4% from previous estimates, and increase its operating profit outlook by 2% to 1.34 trillion yen.
The gaming and network services division was a key driver of this growth, with sales totaling 237.9 billion yen in the third quarter, a 16% increase from the previous year. Notably, Sony sold 9.5 million units of its PlayStation 5 console during this period, up from 8.2 million units a year earlier. The December quarter is crucial for Sony, as it coincides with the holiday shopping season, typically a peak time for consumer electronics sales.
In contrast to Sony’s success, rival Nintendo reported disappointing results for its fiscal third quarter and lowered its forecast for the Switch console. Nintendo recently hinted at a successor to the Switch, known as Switch 2, with more details expected to be revealed on April 2. This competitive landscape underscores the importance of Sony’s strong performance in the gaming sector.
Overall, Sony’s robust sales figures and revised forecasts indicate a positive outlook for the company’s gaming division, driven by strong consumer demand for the PlayStation 5 and related content.
