Sales of exclusive PlayStation games fell by around 30 million copies between fiscal years 2020 and 2024. The number went from 58.4 million to 28.9 million in the period. Sony released the data in annual financial reports.
FY 2025 saw a slight recovery to 32.1 million. Lançamentos as Ghost of Yotei helped performance. The next State of Play, scheduled for this Tuesday, June 2nd, gains even more attention amid the debate about the future of its own catalog.
Annual Evolução shows pandemic spike and subsequent decline
Fiscal year 2018 closed with 54.1 million copies sold. In 2019, the volume fell to 49.2 million. The leap came in 2020, driven by the launch of the PS5 and major titles.
- Fiscal 2018 Ano: 54.1 million
- Fiscal 2019 Ano: 49.2 million
- Fiscal 2020 Ano: 58.4 million
- Fiscal 2021 Ano: 43.9 million
- Fiscal 2022 Ano: 43.5 million
- Fiscal 2023 Ano: 39.7 million
- Fiscal 2024 Ano: 28.9 million
- Fiscal 2025 Ano: 32.1 million
The list above summarizes the numbers compiled by Stephen Totilo, of Game File, from Sony’s balance sheets. The 2020 period saw strong demand for games during the global lockdown. The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ghost of Tsushima drove results.
The decline began in 2021. Menor number of launches weighed down. Títulos and Concord did not repeat the expected success.
Fatores that explain the reduction in sales volume
The release calendar became more sparse after 2020. Sony invested in studio acquisitions, but some projects did not deliver the expected return. The focus on games as a service has also faced challenges.
The acquisition of Bungie in 2022 for US$3.7 billion generated accounting losses. The company recorded impairment of around US$765 million in total. Destiny 2 did not meet engagement expectations. The studio prepares layoffs and focuses on Marathon and new projects.
Mesmo With the drop in exclusives, third-party games sustain the PlayStation ecosystem. The Game & Network Services division maintained positive profits. O hardware PS5 continua em boa fase de vendas acumuladas.
What the numbers reveal about the current strategy
Sony bet on big studios and ambitious narratives. Development time has increased. Alguns projects have been cancelled. Concord, for example, did not sustain itself in the market.
Partial recovery in 2025 came with Ghost of Yotei and other releases. Ainda therefore, volume remains below half of the 2020 peak. Analistas observe that proprietary games currently represent a smaller share of total sales on the platform.
Tonight’s State of Play could bring news that helps reverse the situation. The event begins with news from Marvel’s Wolverine and includes more than 60 minutes of announcements and gameplay.
Ficha technical financial data
Vendas from first-party games (in millions of copies):
- 2020: 58.4 (record)
- 2024: 28.9 (lowest recent level)
- 2025: 32.1 (slight increase)
Principais titles cited at 2020 peak:
- The Last of Us Part II
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ghost of Tsushima
Aquisição problematic:
- Bungie (2022)
- Impairment total reported: about $765 million
Data comes from official Sony reports and independent compilation. Eles does not include third-party game sales or online services revenue.
Expectativas for the near future
The next State of Play gains special relevance. Jogadores look for signs of strong new exclusives for the coming years. Sony needs to balance quality, quantity and release deadlines.
The acquisition strategy remains under evaluation. Resultados of Marathon and other projects will set the course. Enquanto this, the current catalog and online services keep the user base active.
The drop in exclusive sales does not represent a financial crisis for the division. Terceiros and digital services make up for it. But the appeal of its own games remains a central piece of the PlayStation identity.