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Sony’s games segment results for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, prompted a higher full-year forecast. Marvel’s Wolverine sold 2.4 million units following its September 15 launch, helping lift quarterly operating income by 83%.
Summary
Key takeaways
- Sony raised both annual gaming forecasts by 6%.
- Quarterly gaming operating income reached ¥220 billion.
- PS5 sales fell to 2.6 million consoles from 4 million a year earlier.
Marvel’s Wolverine helps drive software growth
Sony credited stronger first-party software and network services sales for the gaming division’s improved performance. Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine contributed to those gains after launching on September 15.
Quarterly game software revenue increased 12.5% to ¥708.5 billion ($4.4 billion). Digital software and add-on content accounted for ¥643.9 billion ($4 billion), while physical software revenue climbed 21.7% to ¥43.1 billion ($272 million).
Full-game sales totaled 88.2 million units during the period, including 8.2 million first-party units.
Sony’s games segment results show profit outpacing sales
Game & Network Services generated ¥220 billion ($1.3 billion) in quarterly operating income, up 83% year on year. Sales rose 9% to ¥1.2 trillion ($7.5 billion).
The profit comparison benefited from the absence of a ¥49.8 billion one-time loss recorded a year earlier, which included a Bungie impairment. Excluding those factors, quarterly operating income increased 29%.
For the six months ended September 30, 2026, gaming sales grew 2.9% to ¥2.1 trillion ($13.5 billion), while operating income rose 57% to ¥422 billion ($2.6 billion).
Network services revenue for the quarter climbed 19.7% to reach ¥218.3 billion ($1.37 billion), while PS Plus monthly active users hit a September record of 127 million, up from 119 million in the prior-year period.
Across Sony Corporation, six-month sales rose 9.4% to ¥6.2 trillion ($39.1 billion), and operating income increased 42.9% to ¥1.09 trillion ($6.8 billion). Quarterly sales reached ¥3.4 trillion ($21.4 billion), up 10%, with operating income of ¥622.3 billion ($3.9 billion), up 45%.
PS5 hardware sales fall as Sony manages costs
As PlayStation 5 unit sales fell, hardware revenue dropped 4.8% to ¥219.7 billion ($1.38 billion). Sony sold 2.6 million consoles in the second quarter of 2026, down from 4 million in the corresponding 2025 quarter.
Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao said promotions, pricing adjustments and additional cost reductions offset rising memory prices for PS5 hardware.
Higher forecasts and next-generation preparations
Sony raised its full-year Game & Network Services sales forecast by 6% to ¥4.8 trillion ($30.3 billion). Its operating income forecast also increased 6%, reaching ¥700 billion ($4.4 billion).
Following Sony’s stronger games segment results, Tao attributed the forecast increases to higher third-party software and network services sales, alongside lower costs.
For the next fiscal year, Sony aims to strengthen engagement and monetisation through major titles and service expansion. It also plans further preparations for its next-generation platform.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
