adminGhost of Yōtei made a notable contribution to Sony’s third-quarter results, helping digital game and add-on content revenue increase by 6% to ¥761.5 billion ($4.8 billion). The figures also point to strong PlayStation Store activity, even as PS5 hardware sales moderated during the console’s later life cycle.
Image credit: Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Ghost of Yōtei drives growth in Sony’s digital game revenue
During an earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao said Ghost of Yōtei significantly contributed to the quarter’s results. The Sucker Punch Productions game had sold 3.3 million copies since launching on October 2, 2025. Tao also said it had sold more copies than Ghost of Tsushima did over the equivalent period after that game’s release.
For players comparing the two titles, the sales comparison covers the same length of time after launch, rather than their total lifetime sales. Sony’s reported figure for Ghost of Yōtei reflects copies sold since its release.
Other games also supported recurring revenue. Tao named Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show as established live-service titles that continued to contribute. Sony also expressed confidence in Marathon’s planned release on March 5, 2026, following its delay from September 23, 2025.
PS5 sales and PlayStation Store performance
Sony said it had expanded the PS5 install base in line with its original plan, exceeding 92 million units on a cumulative selling basis. However, the company described hardware market conditions during the quarter as more difficult than expected.
PS5 shipments during the holiday period reached 8 million units. That was 15.7% lower than the 9.5 million units reported by the end of the third quarter in December 2024. Hardware sales can fluctuate over a console’s life cycle, so shipment figures are useful context when assessing demand alongside software performance.
Despite the decrease in hardware units, PlayStation Store software revenue reached a quarterly record. Tao attributed the result mainly to major third-party franchises and successful new releases. This indicates that sales of games and add-on content can remain strong even when console shipments slow.
Memory costs could affect new PS5 hardware sales
Tao also addressed the ongoing memory shortage and its potential effect on PS5 hardware. Sony plans to continue negotiating with suppliers to secure enough components to meet customer demand. The company said it could adjust its hardware strategy flexibly at this stage of the console cycle.
Because memory costs have increased, Sony expects some impact on sales of new PS5 hardware. It intends to limit the effect by focusing on revenue from its existing install base and growing software and network-service income. Tao noted that a gradual slowdown in hardware sales is expected later in a console’s life cycle, giving the company several possible ways to respond.
What Sony’s Q3 results mean for players
Ghost of Yōtei’s reported sales and the record PlayStation Store quarter show the importance of software to Sony’s business. For players, the practical takeaway is that console shipment changes do not tell the whole story: game releases, add-on purchases and online services also shape quarterly performance. Sony’s comments on memory costs, meanwhile, signal that component pricing may influence future hardware sales.
Overall, Ghost of Yōtei helped lift Sony’s digital game revenue, while PS5 shipments fell year over year and software spending remained a bright spot.
