Sony reported a sharp drop in PS5 sales, moving only 1.5 million units in its latest quarter—down 46 percent year‑over‑year. The shortfall follows a memory shortage that pushed the console’s price up twice within a year, now $650 after a $150 hike. Industry watchers see the figure as a warning that the aging platform is nearing its end for consumers today.

Fiscal 2025 gaming revenue edged up only slightly to 4.69 trillion yen, while operating income grew 12 percent to 463.3 billion yen, buoyed by PlayStation Network sales. However, a $1.69 billion decline in projected revenue for the next year reflects lingering impairment losses from Bungie’s Destiny 2 slump. Sony says the hit will lift next‑year profits by 30 percent once those charges vanish in the same year.

Sony’s strategy hinges on securing enough memory for 2026 holiday sales, a goal it claims it has met at baseline levels. Yet the $650 price tag—up from $500 last year—renders the PS5 less attractive as it approaches end‑of‑life, mirroring Nintendo’s Switch challenge before the Switch 2 launch. Consumers face a steep choice between waiting for a new platform or buying out‑of‑date hardware.