As a part of Sony’s monetary earnings for the fiscal 12 months ending on March 31, 2024, it was confirmed PlayStation 5 gross sales had been up in comparison with the earlier 12 months, with lifetime gross sales even crossing the 59 million mark. But the console nonetheless wound up failing to satisfy Sony’s targets and it doesn’t appear they’re going to get any higher.

Sony shared its earnings on Could 14, revealing the PS5 offered 20.8 million models from final April to March. The 12 months earlier than, it managed 19.1 million models so that’s nonetheless an enchancment. I personally discover that fairly spectacular contemplating Sony hasn’t had any main first-party exclusives prior to now 12 months except for Spider-Man 2 and the up to date remaster of The Final of Us Half 2. When it comes to video games, it’s needed to depend on third-party fare like Remaining Fantasy 16 and Remaining Fantasy 7 Rebirth, although Sony has Helldivers 2 to thank most of all. It’s simply been the corporate’s largest success story within the final 12 months, even turning into the fastest-selling PlayStation sport ever.

Regardless of improved {hardware} gross sales, Sony hoped to push no less than 21 million models this fiscal 12 months, and even that was a revision of an preliminary goal of 25 million (per Reuters). Sony additionally predicts {hardware} gross sales to drop even additional by subsequent March, saying throughout a webcast it’s set a brand new gross sales goal of 18 million models (through Barrons). Whereas such a drop sounds scary, the PS5 is sort of 4 years previous now and within the latter half of its life-cycle, so declining gross sales are to be anticipated. Elsewhere within the outcomes, Sony provides that lowered {hardware} gross sales needs to be partially off-set by “an anticipated enhance in gross sales of non-first-party titles together with add-on content material.”

Given Sony’s first-party output is as soon as once more trying awfully scarce, it’s no surprise it’s reliant on third-party titles to assist it out. There’s chatter of Sony holding a summer season showcase, which might be residence to some main sport bulletins to excite the user-base. Sony president Hiroki Totoki could have even hinted at such a showcase, writing in a letter to workers, “Later this month you’ll be taught extra in regards to the long-term imaginative and prescient for Sony Group and the important position SIE performs in that imaginative and prescient.”

There are additionally rumours of a PS5 Professional, which is predicted to be much more highly effective than the present mannequin, although how worthwhile that might be stays to be seen. I can’t think about such a console can be notably inexpensive, and will solely attraction to a selected sub-section of PlayStation followers. Regardless, with the one first-party title scheduled for 2024 being Harmony (through Shinobi602 on Twitter), which is one more live-service sport, I’m very curious to see how issues pan out for PlayStation within the coming months.