While PlayStation 5 has exceeded 80 million copies sold, Sony plans to review its strategy in its video game division.
Unlike Xbox, which decided to adopt a diversification policy by released its exclusive games on competing consoles, Sony has so far chosen to favor its PlayStation. If the Japanese manufacturer also proposed ports to PC, they did not arrive for several months, testifying more of a desire to capitalize on a license in order to bring these players to its ecosystem to take advantage of possible consequences more quickly.
But this idea is changing. During the traditional question/answer session with the shareholders, at the time of the presentation of his financial results, Sadahiko Hayakawa, the company’s vice-president, explained changing his vision of things.
“In the video game sector, we are moving away from an economic model centered on consoles,” said Sadahiko Hayakawa.
Strengthen his community before his console
Sony thus wishes to refocus on “Community engagement”, which is “growing”, with more than 123 million active users on June 30, 2025 – it is 7 million more than a year ago.
It is not trivial: since his arrival in the video game sector, Sony has been based above all on his console and then selling her licenses, having little interest in competition. No question was an era, to offer a Spider-Man or a Uncharted sur Xbox.
If it is not (yet?) The case for these games, the company nevertheless took a giant step by announcing the Xbox port of Helldivers 2so far only available on PlayStation 5 and PC. An arrival made possible by Sony’s sole desire, has since revealed the studio that is responsible for it, Arrowhead Game Studios.
The title is one of the big successes of the year 2024, and turns out to be, in fact, the representative of Sony’s policy in terms of “service games” (receiving updates over several months or years). If some turbulence have been felt, with cancellations (Concord) and reports (Marathon), the company shows that it now wishes to capitalize on its community before selling its consoles. We also saw it with Lego Horizon Adventureeven if the sales were not there.
Not so long ago, the PlayStation was however its main growth engine, at the level of the entire group. Sony Music was in trouble? Playstation 3 and 4 raised the level. The cinema branch experienced a pandemic? The PlayStation studios then offered games unanimously praised by criticism and the general public.
Obviously, Sadahiko Hayakawa’s words do not mean that Sony will abandon consoles, or even exclusives. There will be a PlayStation 6 and Sony will decide on a case -by -case basis of future ports. It is the form of this new policy that could surprise. It is rumored that the Japanese manufacturer could go on something very close to the Nintendo Switch, with a hybrid console, or a portable console in addition to a more traditional living room console – as Xbox does with its future Rog Xbox Ally X.