Sony Says PlayStation 6 Is on Schedule as PS5 Hits 97.9 Million

Sony says development of its next-generation PlayStation platform is progressing as scheduled. CFO Lin Tao gave the update on Thursday, November 5, 2026, on the earnings call for July to September 2026, a quarter in which Sony shipped 2.6 million PS5 consoles, bringing the lifetime total to 97.9 million units. Sony referred to the console only as its next-generation platform and did not use the PlayStation 6 name.

What did Sony say about the next PlayStation?

In prepared remarks on the call, Tao said that, looking ahead to next fiscal year, Sony also intends to make “solid progress in preparing for the next-generation platform.” Asked by a Nikkei reporter whether development is progressing according to schedule, Tao answered that it is “progressing as scheduled.”

Answering a BofA Securities analyst about gaming profitability, Tao said there will be investment for the new platform from next fiscal year onward. Sony’s next fiscal year begins in April 2027. Tao said Sony has to make the necessary investments for future growth, think about how rationally it can invest, and can announce that at an appropriate time in the future.

How is Sony handling memory costs?

Tao said Sony has offset the rise in memory prices through adjustments to promotions and pricing and additional cost reduction, and expects PS5 hardware profitability this fiscal year to remain on par with last year. For next fiscal year, Tao said that, based on discussions so far with various suppliers, Sony has aligned on the quantity of memory needed for its projected hardware unit sales. Tao also called memory prices one of the challenges management will face.

How did PlayStation perform from July to September?

Game & Network Services sales rose 9% year on year to 1,208.5 billion yen. Operating income rose 83% to 220.1 billion yen, which Tao called a record high for a second quarter. Excluding one-time losses of 49.8 billion yen recorded a year earlier, including a Bungie impairment, operating income rose 29%. Sony’s presentation lists lower hardware sales due to a decrease in unit sales. Tao said new PS5 unit sales are gradually declining as expected at this stage of the console life cycle.

Monthly active users across the PlayStation platform reached 127 million accounts in September, up 7%, and total play time for the quarter rose 4%. Tao said cumulative sales of Marvel’s Wolverine, released in September, exceeded 2.4 million units.

What changed in Sony’s full-year forecast?

Sony raised its Game & Network Services forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027: sales to 4,830 billion yen and operating income to 700 billion yen, both 6% above the July forecast. Tao said the operating income increase is primarily due to higher third-party software and network service sales and decreased costs. The presentation also lists lower first-party software sales, mainly due to a change in a title release date.

Tao said Sony has decided to postpone God of War: Laufey to the first quarter of next fiscal year. For the whole Sony Group, the full-year operating income forecast now stands at 1,870 billion yen, 9% above the previous forecast.

Key facts

• Next-generation PlayStation: development on schedule; investment for the new platform from next fiscal year (from April 2027)
• PS5 shipments: 2.6 million in the quarter, 97.9 million lifetime as of September 30, 2026
• Game & Network Services, quarter: sales 1,208.5 billion yen, operating income 220.1 billion yen
• Game & Network Services, full-year forecast: sales 4,830 billion yen, operating income 700 billion yen
• Marvel’s Wolverine: more than 2.4 million units sold

Based on Sony Group’s Q2 FY2026 earnings presentation, consolidated financial summary and supplemental data, and the November 5, 2026 earnings call.

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