Sony earnings: PS5 sales, Wolverine 2.4M

Sony sold 2.6M PS5 consoles last quarter, down from 4M, yet PlayStation profit rose. Here is what the results say about Wolverine, GTA 6 and the PS6.

Sony reported its July-September results on Thursday, Nov. 5, and the PlayStation numbers point in two directions. According to IGN, Engadget and The Verge, the company sold 2.6 million PS5 consoles in the quarter, down from 4 million a year earlier, yet PlayStation revenue and profit still rose. Sony also gave an official sales figure for Marvel's Wolverine for the first time: more than 2.4 million copies as of Nov. 4.

How many PS5 consoles did Sony sell, and how many in total?

Sony says it shipped 2.6 million PS5 consoles in the quarter, against 4 million in the same period of 2025. Engadget puts lifetime sales at 97.9 million since the console launched in June 2020, which means the 100 million mark is likely to fall during the holiday quarter. Sony told retailers that "temporary market supply constraints and high demand" would keep console stock limited until next year, per Engadget, so the drop looks tied to supply rather than weak interest.

IGN adds that Sony raised PS5 prices because of memory costs, but said it offset that through promotions, pricing changes and cost cuts, and expects hardware profitability for the full year to match last year. For a U.S. shopper, that points to tight stock and few deep console discounts before the holidays, though Sony has not announced any holiday pricing.

How is PlayStation making more money on fewer consoles?

Games and services are carrying the quarter. Engadget reports that PlayStation revenue rose 9% and operating profit rose 83% from a year ago. Game sales were up 9.8 million units over the same quarter last year, covering first-party and third-party titles. Digital downloads made up 78% of full-game software sales, compared with 72% a year earlier.

Software revenue came to 708.5 billion yen (about $4.48 billion), up from 629.3 billion yen ($3.98 billion). Network services grew 19.5% to 218.3 billion yen ($1.38 billion), according to Engadget. IGN reports that monthly active users hit 127 million in September, up 7% from a year ago and a record for the month.

Group-wide, The Verge says Sony's net profit rose 44% to 449.6 billion yen (about $2.84 billion), with PlayStation among the main drivers.

How is Marvel's Wolverine selling?

Sony said Wolverine, released in September, has passed 2.4 million units sold through to players, as of Nov. 4, about 50 days after launch. Sony's statement credits the game for improving the quarter and says players have praised its action and storytelling.

IGN puts that in context, and the comparison is not flattering. Ghost of Yotei sold 3.3 million in 32 days after its Oct. 2, 2025 launch. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sold 5 million in 11 days and 10 million in 107 days, according to Sony's earlier figures. Astro Bot reached 1.5 million at the 58-day mark in 2024, so Wolverine is ahead of that one. Sony gave no sales target for the game.

Why does GTA 6 matter to Sony's forecast?

Sony raised its sales and profit forecasts for the gaming segment by 6% each for the year ending March 31, 2027. It cited stronger third-party game sales and, for profit, lower costs and network services. IGN notes that GTA 6 is the obvious reason. Rockstar's game has been shown only on PS5 so far and its marketing says it "plays best on PS5." IGN suggests Sony will be comfortable with GTA 6 sales shifting into its next fiscal year, which starts in April 2027. For the U.S. launch date and editions, see our earlier guide linked below.

Sony also said it is making "solid progress" preparing for its next-generation platform. It gave no name, date or price.

What is confirmed and what is not?

Confirmed by Sony's results: 2.6 million PS5 units in the quarter, a Wolverine total above 2.4 million, a 6% forecast raise for gaming, 127 million monthly active users and progress on next-generation hardware.
Reported by outlets, not stated by Sony in what we read: the 97.9 million lifetime PS5 figure (Engadget) and the 78% digital share (Engadget).
Not given: a PS6 name or date, current U.S. PS5 prices and a Wolverine sales target.

Our take: the numbers say Sony does not need to sell more consoles right now to grow. The slowdown in hardware is real, but the money is in the digital catalog and subscriptions, and GTA 6 will add to both. The soft spot is Wolverine. Over 2.4 million is respectable, and still well behind the studio's last big game. The holiday season will show whether it keeps selling. We will update this story if Sony or Insomniac releases new figures.