Sony has published its quarterly results for the period ending September 30. Total PlayStation 5 shipments have reached 97.9 million consoles, including 2.6 million shipped during the latest quarter, down 35% year over year. At the same time, the PlayStation audience has set a record, while the gaming division's revenue and profit continue to grow.The numbers paint a mixed but broadly encouraging picture for Sony. According to the report, Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine had sold 2.4 million copies as of November 4, 50 days after its September 15 release. That is a respectable result for a console exclusive that received mixed reviews, even if it looks more modest next to Ghost of Yotei, which sold 3.3 million copies in 32 days. PlayStation monthly active users reached a record 127 million in September, an increase of roughly 7% year over year, while total gameplay hours for the quarter rose 4%.Image unavailableQuarterly PS5 shipments fell to 2.6 million from 4 million a year earlier, a 35% decline. Hardware revenue, however, dropped just 4.8% to ¥219.7 billion, helped by a higher average console price. Game sales were the quarter's main growth engine: 88.2 million software units, up 7.9 million, including 8.2 million first-party titles. Digital downloads now account for 78% of full-game software sales. Revenue at the Game & Network Services division grew 8.6% to ¥1,208.5 billion, while operating profit increased by approximately 83%.That leaves Sony roughly 2.1 million units short of the 100 million PS5 milestone. It could cross that line during the quarter in which GTA 6 launches on November 19. Reports also suggest that 74% of the game's pre-orders have been placed for PS5, although that figure is not part of Sony's financial disclosure.
