Saying Goodbye to the Sales Race: Sony Confirms PS5 Is in Its Late Lifecycle, PS Plus Becomes Core

Summary

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Sony Group CEO Hiroki Totoki confirmed that the PS5 console has entered the latter half of its lifecycle, and the company will shift its strategic focus from hardware sales to digital subscription services such as PlayStation Plus (PS Plus). During the interview, the host noted that PS5 has sold approximately 93 million units and asked Totoki whether Sony is in a more favorable position compared to Nintendo, which recently launched the Switch 2. Totoki replied affirmatively: "You know, it's really fortunate. Our PlayStation console is now in the latter half of its lifecycle. This means we don't need to aggressively push hardware sales; instead, we can generate recurring revenue from the existing user base." This strategic pivot comes amid multiple PS5 price hikes. Under the constraint of squeezed hardware profitability, Sony chooses to prioritize per-user revenue contribution over aggressive new user acquisition. The statement marks Sony's formal departure from the traditional console competition logic centered on sales volume, shifting toward a profit model built on subscription services and a digital ecosystem. For players, the importance of PS Plus will further increase, and Sony may enhance subscription appeal through more service-based content and day-one releases of exclusive games. For the industry, this reflects a…