Market demand has slowed
Evidently the market did not justify the company’s initial optimistic forecasts, actually showing a slowdown in recent months. It is difficult to pinpoint specific causes, also because they could be multiple, such as the current situation of the international market, the price of current generation consoles which has not only remained unchanged since launch but has also increased, the reduced number of productions designed specifically for the current-gen, the incessant rumors about the arrival of a Pro model in 2024 which may have made some consumers desist from purchasing the basic model or even the absence of large productions and series from PlayStation Studios confirmed at the beginning of the year. On this last point it must be said in any case the “holes” have been compensated with third-party exclusives such as Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and a second-party production such as Helldivers 2, among other things in able to record a very high number of copies sold between PS5 and PC.
The fact that Sony announced lower sales estimates for the current fiscal year probably means that the company does not expect a change in trend in the near future, although it must be said that 18 million PS5s sold in the console’s fourth year of life are anything but a negative result.
