Sony has reported a decline in PlayStation 5 sales figures in its latest annual report and is now considering a price increase in response.
The 2024/25 fiscal year has come to an end. This means that companies are now required to publish their sales reports, and Sony is no exception. In addition to an insight into the sales figures for the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, there are considerations that are unlikely to please potential buyers in light of the negative trend (from Sony’s perspective).
Sony’s annual report at a glance
Sony has sold a total of 77.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles since the console was launched at the end of 2020; this figure includes the Pro version.
- In the 2024/2025 fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2025, 18.5 million units were sold. In the previous year, this figure was 20.8 million PS5 consoles.
- The decline can also be observed on a quarterly basis. While Sony sold 4.5 million units in the first quarter of 2024, only 2.8 million PS5 consoles were sold in the first three months of 2025.
Punitive tariffs as the reason for poor forecast
Following such an annual report, Sony also holds a meeting with investors to bring them up to date. CEO Hiroki Tokito explained that the US punitive tariffs could have a negative impact of around 100 billion yen (around 610 million euros) in the current 2025/26 fiscal year.
According to Tokito, one possible solution would be to simply relocate part of production to the US in order to avoid the corresponding customs duties.
However, CFO Lin Tao also mentions another possibility in this context: cushioning the aforementioned 100 billion yen by passing this loss on to customers.
We intend to achieve this by building up strategic inventories in the US, adjusting the allocation of product shipments worldwide, increasing prices for certain products in line with market developments, and taking further measures.
The divisions affected include “I&SS” (Imaging and Sensing Solutions), “ET&S” (Entertainment, Technology and Services) and “G&NS” (Game & Network Services) – which also includes PlayStation consoles. Unfortunately, this price increase for the PS5 would not be entirely new, as Sony has already raised prices twice before!
However, we can only speculate about the reasons for the decline in PlayStation 5 sales. Has the boom in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the associated supply chain problems finally come to an end? Or does the PlayStation 5 still not have enough games to convince you to buy one? Let us know in the comments!
