PlayStation first-party game sales declined for 5 straight years
Ghost of Yotei uptick stopped a downward trend for Sony’s first-party game sales
Sony’s first-party game sales declined for five straight years, until a small uptick in 2025, helped by Ghost of Yotei.
That’s according to data collated by Game File, which suggests that PlayStation sold less than half the number of first-party games in 2024 (when it released Astro Bot and Concord) compared to 2020 (when it released The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima, as well as PS5).
The decline can be seen in Sony’s annual financial results, which have reported first-party game sales (titles it published or developed itself) since 2020.
The figures highlight what a prolific year 2020 was for PlayStation, with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, and other titles also arriving that year, but also the slowdown of releases from its biggest studios since PS5’s launch.
Notably, Naughty Dog still hasn’t released a game this console generation, nor has Haven Studios, which Sony opened in 2022. Both studios’ announced games, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and Fairgames, don’t have release dates announced.
Similarly, Dreams and LittleBigPlanet studio, Media Molecule, hasn’t released a game since 2020, while SIE’s acquisition of studios so far hasn’t resulted in an increase in hits, with the platform holder canceling multiple live service projects and closing studios like Bluepoint.
The figures also highlight the industry-wide issue that blockbuster games are taking longer to make and require huge investment. Consumer habits have also changed in the last six years, with the pandemic years boosting sales due to stay-at-home restrictions.
Regardless of first-party game sales momentum, PlayStation has enjoyed a record-breaking console generation in terms of revenue, with PS5 console sales not far behind its predecessor, despite a much higher price point. Most of PlayStation’s revenue comes from subscriptions and a cut of third-party game purchases.
Fans will be hoping that a State of Play live stream scheduled for Tuesday will showcase a stronger future line-up for PlayStation platforms. At an hour long, the event has built strong expectations from players, especially with Sony holding in-person viewings at theatres across the US.
The showcase will include an extended look at the long-awaited Marvel’s Wolverine, in addition to news and updates on other upcoming PS5 games.
