PlayStation 5 Generation Is Already Sony’s Most Profitable Yet [Game Informer]

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  The PlayStation 5 generation is already Sony's most profitable yet, the company has announced. In terms of numbers, the PS5 generation has already earned Sony $106 billion, according to a slide from its "Game & Network Services Segment" <a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/business_segment_meeting/pdf/2024/GNS_E.pdf">presentation</a> from <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2024/05/14/hermen-hulst-and-hideaki-nishino-named-dual-playstation-ceos-following-jim-ryans">PlayStation's two new CEOs, Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst</a>. 

However, on that same slide, Sony shows that the PlayStation 4 generation earned $107 billion, which is obviously more than $106 billion. But, the reason Sony is calling the PS5 generation the most profitable one yet is because the PS4 generation is largely complete whereas the PS5 presumably still has years to go. Given it’s made $106 billion in roughly four years, it seems Sony is confident it will surpass $107 billion in the coming months or years. 

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As for what Sony is including in its profits, it’s the entire gamut of the PS5 generation. This includes the PS5 console itself, associated hardware and accessories, and software, too. It also includes services, like PlayStation Plus, according to the presentation. 

One of the reasons the PS5 generation might be Sony’s most profitable yet is because even though the playerbase is as big as the PS4 – both are sitting at 49 million active consoles as of last month – PS5 players are playing significantly more on their console. The PS5 generation sits at 2.4 billion total gameplay hours while the PS4 sits at 1.4 billon. More playtime likely equates to more spending, which might be one of the reasons the PS5 generation is doing financially as well as it is. 

Life-to-date spending on the PS5 is also higher amongst players than the PS4, too. Across peripherals, services, content/add-ons, and content/full games, the PS4 life-to-date spend is $580 while PS5 players average $731. 

For more, read about how the PS5 recently broke a sales record for Sony, and then check out Game Informer’s list of the top 10 PS5 games. 

What are your thoughts on the PlayStation 5 generation so far? Let us know in the comments below!