Sony raises PlayStation forecast as Wolverine hits 2.4 million

By Elena Vasquez

Sony raised its Game & Network Services full-year net sales forecast by 6% to ¥4.8 trillion ($30.3 billion), CFO Lin Tao said, after second-quarter segment sales rose 9% and operating income jumped 83%. Marvel’s Wolverine supplied a measurable part of that improvement, selling 2.4 million units after its September 15 launch.

Performance by the numbers

Sony reported stronger sales and profit across both the corporate group and its PlayStation-led segment.

• For the six months ended September 30, 2026, Sony Corporation posted net sales of ¥6.2 trillion ($39.1 billion), up 9.4%. G&NS generated ¥2.1 trillion ($13.5 billion), up 2.9%.
• Sony Corporation’s operating income reached ¥1.09 trillion ($6.8 billion), up 42.9%. G&NS operating income was ¥422 billion ($2.6 billion), up 57%.
• For the three months ended September 30, Sony Corporation recorded ¥3.4 trillion ($21.4 billion) in net sales, up 10%, and ¥622.3 billion ($3.9 billion) in operating income, up 45%.
• G&NS posted quarterly net sales of ¥1.2 trillion ($7.5 billion), up 9%, and operating income of ¥220 billion ($1.3 billion), up 83%.

G&NS operating income rose because the current quarter did not carry a ¥49.8 billion one-time loss recorded in the comparison period. That prior loss included a $765 million impairment loss from Bungie. Excluding those factors, G&NS operating income increased 29% during the quarter. Sony still attributed the underlying gain to stronger network services and first-party software sales.

Software and subscriptions carry growth

Game software revenue rose 12.5% to ¥708.5 billion ($4.4 billion). Digital software and add-on content produced ¥643.9 billion ($4 billion), while physical software revenue increased 21.7% to ¥43.1 billion ($272 million).

Full game software unit sales reached 88.2 million for the half-year, including 8.2 million first-party units. Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine sold 2.4 million units after launch. Sony said the game contributed to the “improved results of the entire segment for the quarter.”

Network services revenue increased 19.7% to ¥218.3 billion ($1.37 billion). Monthly active PlayStation Plus users reached 127 million, compared with 119 million a year earlier, a “record high for September.”

Hardware revenue falls as PS5 shipments slow

Hardware revenue declined 4.8% to ¥219.7 billion ($1.38 billion). Sony sold 2.6 million additional PS5 units in the quarter, down from four million in Q2 2025. Lifetime PS5 sales reached 93.7 million.

Lin Tao said Sony was “able to offset the rise in memory prices” for PS5 hardware “through adjustments to promotions and pricing, as well as additional cost-reduction.” For next fiscal year, he added that “based on discussions held so far with various suppliers, we have aligned on the quantity of memory needed for our projected hardware unit sales.”

What does this change for studios and publishers?

The practical change is a stronger software-and-services revenue mix, not faster console sales. Digital software and add-on revenue reached ¥643.9 billion, network services revenue reached ¥218.3 billion, and Marvel’s Wolverine moved 2.4 million units. The result supported larger segment forecasts and a higher operating-income target.

For external studios, Sony specifically cited stronger third-party software sales as a driver. Software performance and network reach therefore provide clearer market signals than hardware volume, especially with lifetime PS5 sales at 93.7 million and monthly active PS Plus users at 127 million. Sony did not disclose title-level royalties, partnership terms or margins, so it did not quantify revenue for individual third-party developers.

The higher forecast and next-year plan

Sony increased full-year G&NS net sales guidance by 6% to ¥4.8 trillion ($30.3 billion). It also raised operating-income guidance by 6% to ¥700 billion ($4.4 billion). Tao attributed the operating-income increase to “the impact of higher third-party software and network services sales and decreased costs.”

Looking ahead, Sony aims to “continue to enhance user engagement and further strengthen monetisation through the release of strong titles and the expansion of our service.” It also plans to “make solid progress in preparing for the next-generation platform.” The next market signal to watch is whether PS5 demand stabilizes while software and network revenue sustain the raised profit target.