Key Points
- PlayStation first-party game sales have declined annually since April 2020, with fiscal year 2024 marking the lowest point.
- Fiscal year 2020, a peak period, saw 58.4 million first-party sales, boosted by major titles and pandemic conditions.
- A modest recovery occurred in fiscal year 2025, reaching 32.1 million units sold, partly attributed to Ghost of Yotei.
- Analysts cite a reduced frequency of major first-party releases and a focus on remasters and unreleased projects as reasons for the downturn.
PlayStation's internal game sales have experienced a noticeable downturn over the past five years, a trend that, while significant, has shown a glimmer of recovery in the most recent fiscal period. Data indicates a consistent annual decline since April 2020, culminating in fiscal year 2024 as the weakest performance, with sales figures dropping considerably from earlier peaks.
The Peak and the Subsequent Decline
The fiscal year 2020, which encompassed titles like The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, represented a high-water mark for first-party sales. This period, amplified by the global pandemic that saw increased engagement with video games, resulted in approximately 58.4 million units sold. However, this success proved difficult to sustain. Subsequent years witnessed a progressive contraction, with sales falling to 28.9 million units by fiscal year 2024, a figure less than half of the 2020 total.
This decline is not indicative of a broader platform issue; overall PlayStation game sales, including those from third-party developers, have continued to grow. Instead, the data suggests a strategic shift within Sony, where the frequency and distribution of major first-party releases have diminished compared to the PlayStation 4 era. Analysts point to internal studios dedicating considerable resources to remasters, remakes, and projects still in development, which has consequently reduced the output of new intellectual properties and original blockbusters.
A Modest Rebound in Fiscal Year 2025
The most recent fiscal year, 2025, has offered a measure of respite, with first-party sales experiencing a modest recovery. Approximately 32.1 million units were sold, a figure partly bolstered by the release of titles such as Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei. While this represents an improvement over the previous year, it still falls short of the sales figures achieved during the peak period of 2020.
The situation has reignited discussions surrounding Sony's release strategy for the PlayStation 5. The perceived slower pace of major exclusive titles, when contrasted with the consistent stream of single-player blockbusters characteristic of prior generations, has become a focal point. Compounding this has been the impact of project cancellations and strategic reorientations, particularly concerning live-service ambitions. The discontinuation of titles like The Last of Us Online and the closure of Firewalk Studios following criticism of Concord underscore the challenges in this area, directly affecting the volume of released first-party content.
Despite these figures, Sony continues to leverage its established development studios, with Insomniac Games, Santa Monica Studio, and Guerrilla Games actively working on new projects. The upcoming releases from these and other internal teams are anticipated to bolster the first-party lineup and potentially alter these sales trajectories in the coming years. The health of the PlayStation ecosystem remains robust, supported by consistent third-party engagement and ongoing development from its core studios.