PlayStation hardware sales fall ahead of pending PS5 Pro launch
Sony hits a new sales milestone for PS5, but it looks like it could use the PlayStation 5 Pro sooner rather than later
📉 PS5 sales have fallen by 32% year-on-year
📆 We’re expecting Sony to release the PS5 Pro in November this year
📈 It should give Sony’s hardware division a boost, but it won’t be an easy sell
🤔 Some are questioning the need for a PlayStation 5 Pro
PlayStation 5 sales have reached an impressive 61 million units sold, but hardware sales continue to fall. Sony saw a 32% decrease year-on-year, which is higher than you might think considering the PS5 Slim was only released in November 2023.
The release of the PS5 Pro – which is still strongly expected to be announced in September with a release date during November – could provide the company with a significant boost. Some may be waiting to purchase the souped-up PlayStation 5 or could be tempted to upgrade.
Sony revealed 2.4 million PS5 consoles were sold during the most recent quarter, which was 1.1 million fewer units than the previous quarter. The drop in hardware sales was offset by an 18% increase in software revenue and a 25% increase in Network Services – namely PlayStation Plus subscriptions.
One bright note: Sony had strong PlayStation Portal sales. In fact, it became the top-selling gaming accessory of 2024, despite PlayStation Portal restock setbacks.
And our PSVR 2 PC adapter restock and Astro Bot controller restock guides spell good things for Sony’s hardware division going forward, as does PSVR 2’s 2,000% sales surge, according to our exclusive reporting.
PS5 vs Xbox sales at a glance
Like Sony, Microsoft also recently saw a big drop in console sales for the last quarter. Sales were down a whopping 42%, which might worry Microsoft’s executives, even if they have switched to pushing Xbox Game Pass in recent years.
Microsoft seems to be content with letting Sony be the only company with a mid-gen refreshed console, as it won’t be releasing a PS5 Pro of its own. We expected to see an Xbox Series X Slim released, but Microsoft chose to release an all-digital white Xbox Series X and a special edition 2TB Xbox Series X instead – neither of which will likely boost hardware sales.
PS5 exclusives, PS5 Pro and GTA 6
While some gamers may be excited about a more powerful PlayStation 5, Sony has had a quiet year for software, relying on third-party and second-party timed exclusivity deals. Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Rise of the Ronin have helped plug the gaps, but Sony will need to offer compelling reasons for people to pick up a PS5 Pro if they’re on the fence.
The game that will likely tip the scales for many will be GTA 6. The PlayStation 5 Pro will be the best place to play Rockstar’s long-awaited sequel, but it isn’t out until 2025 and could even slip to 2026.
Data has recently shown that 50% of GTA 5’s player base is still on PS4, so Sony will be hoping a PS5 Pro or even the presence of Grand Theft Auto 6 will encourage late adopters to switch to its latest console. If not, hardware sales may drop even further in the coming quarters but that might encourage Sony to release a PSP 2.
If you can’t understand why Sony is releasing a PS5 Pro, you’re not alone. PS5 Pro isn’t needed according to developers, with many questioning why the console exists. It’ll be up to Sony to convince us why the PS5 Pro is the next must-have console, which could happen during the Tokyo Game Show 2024.
Up next: Best PS5 controller colors: every PlayStation 5 DualSense gamepad ranked
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.