- Sony’s first-party sales have plummeted to nearly half since the PS5 generation began.
- It sold 58.4 million copies in FY20, led by behemoths like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us 2.
- The number stood at 39.7 million in FY25, with Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei contributing a bunch.
Multiple internal Sony studios, including Naughty Dog and Guerrilla Games, have just not delivered enough fresh blockbuster first-party content over the last few years. Instead, multiple talented teams relied on sequels, remakes, and remasters to take a low-risk approach.
It’s no surprise that first-party sales have greatly declined compared to the PS4 era. New data shows that Sony’s in-house game sales have dropped to nearly half since the current generation started. Sony has sold fewer first-party titles almost every year since FY20.
Why it matters: Sony needs to attract swaths of gamers with its new first-party lineup that will be revealed at the upcoming PlayStation State of Play showcase. Otherwise, this downward trend could continue until the remaining PS5 era ends.
The data compiled by Game File reveals that Sony saw peak results during the start of the PS5 generation, with hearty new launches like TLOU Part 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ghost of Tsushima setting a new precedent in FY20.
The number had climbed up to a staggering 58.4 million. The pandemic also played a part in this huge boom, with stay-at-home lockdowns inspiring swaths of new gamers to enter the ecosystem.
Unfortunately, first-party game sales dropped by nearly 50% by FY24; only 28.4 million in-house copies were sold due to weak and unsuccessful exclusives like Concord.
The first-party numbers climbed up to 32.1 million in FY25, with successful game releases like Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2.
However, data shows that third-party sales across the PS5 have not dropped at all, even after the post-pandemic decline in gaming. In other words, the total number of games sold on PS5 has only increased over the years.
The grim first-party results come even after Sony funded over 120 projects during the PS5 cycle, many of which were smaller-scale or external partnerships rather than in-house titles.
The report concludes that Sony really needs new homegrown hits to drive console and brand engagement moving forward.
Do you think Sony’s first-party lineup will improve significantly towards the end of the PS5 generation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
Join Our Community
