PlayStation loses 4 million MAUs as major Q1 metrics drop

One of Sony's most important gaming metrics is down by 4 million users as overall sales earnings slip in Q1'22.

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PlayStation Monthly Active Users (MAUs) are down to their lowest point in the last 11 quarters. Throughout Q1'22, PlayStation MAUs dropped to 102 million to reflect downward trends in subscriptions, game sales, and overall PlayStation segment earnings.

This drop in MAUs will be weighted more heavily as Sony pivots into live service games and free-to-play titles on the PlayStation Network, however the diversification across PC and mobile will cushion any kinds of drops--at least once PlayStation live games are established on these platforms.

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It's worth noting that the drop in MAUs reflects consistent trends in Sony's playerbase over the past two years. Typically, MAUs drop from the Q4 to Q1 periods (corresponding with January-March and April-June months); The drop from Q4'20 to Q1'21 was likewise 4 million MAUs. Q3 periods are typically the highest because of holiday rush spending and engagement.

Sony's Q1'22 earnings have slid as much as 46% year-over-year on weak yen, lower game sales, and lower engagement/monetization across services and subscriptions.