Sony Has Laid Off Around 5x More Employees Than Microsoft Since 2008

Expert Verified By

But But... Microsoft Laid Off Thousands Just Recently!

Story Highlight
  • Microsoft has laid off around 15k employees in 2025.
  • Due to the layoffs, the company has received a lot of backlash from the fans. 
  • However, in comparison, Sony has laid off 5 times more employees than Microsoft, but it hasn’t received any backlash at all.

Microsoft recently laid off 9,000 employees and canceled projects like Perfect Dark. Before that, the company laid off 4,000 employees. The company has cut many jobs too quickly, which is unfortunate, as many lost their jobs and may find it hard to get back on their feet quickly. 

Due to the layoffs, the company has been a constant target of hate from the fans, with some even claiming that they are going to cancel their Game Pass subscription to boycott Xbox. However, they probably don’t know that Sony has actually laid off far more employees than Microsoft ever did. For reference, the former has cut nearly 5x more jobs than the latter ever since 2008.

Why it matters: Fans not saying anything to Sony and constantly hating Microsoft is proof of double standards in the gaming industry. Even some popular figures like Geoff Keighley have been seen favoring the former more. 

25000 Gaming Industry Layoffs 2023-2024
Layoffs Have Become Pretty Common In the Gaming Industry

In 2008, Microsoft employed around 91,000 people as full-time employees. Among them, 55,000 are based in the United States, and the rest 36,000 are employed internationally. 

So, the total workforce of Microsoft was around 91,000. However, Sony employed around 180,000 in 2008, and guess how many are still left? Only 113,000. That means the company has laid off a whopping 67,000 employees since 2008.  

On the other hand, the workforce of Microsoft in 2024 was around 228k. This means the company has increased its workforce by 137,000 more than the employees currently at Sony. 

Microsoft 2008 Employees
Microsoft Employed 91,000 People in 2008, But Now Its Workforce Has Increased To 215,000.

Now, let’s add the 15k employees Microsoft laid off this year, so the overall number would come down to 215, which is still way more than Sony’s. It should also be noted that Sony laid off 900 employees this year, which, by the way, were 8% of the total PlayStation employees. 

So, this means that Sony has cut around 5 times more jobs than Microsoft since 2008, which is a massive difference, but perhaps no one, or at least the majority, is ready to accept it. 

What do you think about the fact that Sony has laid off way more employees than Microsoft? Do you believe Sony will receive a similar outcry from the fandom? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or join the official Tech4Gamers forums for discussion

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

A New Third-Person Lord of the Rings Game Is in Development to Rival Hogwarts Legacy

A brand-new third-person action Lord of the Rings game is now in development, reportedly competing with Hogwarts Legacy.

PlayStation Reportedly Introducing Removable Batteries With New DualSense Controller Revision

PlayStation is reportedly gearing up to introduce the third revision for its DualSense controller, and major changes are on the way.

New PS5 Slim Model Cuts Corners On Storage And The Heatsink To Maintain Price

Sony has reduced storage and decreased the size of the heatsink in the new revised PS5 Slim consoles to lower manufacturing costs.

Microsoft & Asus Allegedly Tried to Lower ROG Ally X Price After Fan Backlash — But Plans Collapsed

Microsoft and Asus were allegedly tried to aim for a lower price tag for its flagship ROG Ally X handheld during Gamescom, but plans failed.

Electronic Arts to Go Private in $50 Billion Shock Deal With Saudi Arabia

A Saudi Arabian investment group has made $50 billion investment in Electronic Arts converting it into private company.