PS5 shipments dwindle to all-time generational low as Sony braces for console profit impacts

PS5 sales are dwindling as Sony faces turbulence midway through the PS5 generation, caused by a perfect storm of inflation and increasing supply costs.

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Following two back-to-back price hikes, the PlayStation 5 isn't doing so well on the shipment level. Sony's latest FY25 earnings report shows that the company only shipped 1.5 million PS5 consoles in Q4'25, which happens to be the lowest-ever quarter in the company's ninth console generation.

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The PS5 is also being lapped by its predecessor, at least in unit shipments. The end of Holiday 2025 marked the PS5's 22nd quarter on the market and when aligned with the PS4, we see that the PS4 is ahead by 3.3 million.

That being said, Sony did manage to ship a strong 8 million PS5 consoles the prior quarter, and that was after the first price hike was announced. It's worth mentioning that the second major PS5 price hike - the one that led to a $900 PS5 Pro - was made right at the end of the Q4 period. Also, software was up year-over-year to 317.9 million, with first-party game sales also up in FY25.

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FY25 also delivered record gross revenues, showing how large the PS5 generation has become, as consumers shift to the new platform.

So what does this tell us? Sony will shrug the Q4 shipment volume off and continue navigating increasingly volatile waters of the global market, focusing intently on driving up profitable games and content.

As for FY26, the current fiscal year, Sony telegraphs that it may raise prices further if necessary in a bid to preserve the PS5's profit margin.