Sony Interactive Entertainment has shared PS5 vs PS4 sales and operating income data, revealing that PS5 is its most profitable console generation to date. However, the company has acknowledged PS4’s significant install base, and has said that the last-gen platform is still an “important” part of the PlayStation business.
PS5 vs PS4: How players are engaging with both platforms
In a presentation delivered today by PlayStation’s new joint CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino, it was revealed that PS5 players are more engaged than PS4 players, and are spending more money than last-gen users. Interestingly, however, PS5 players are buying fewer new games. Current-gen players are spending more money on add-ons, microtransactions, and services like subscriptions.
The phrase “live service” is often frowned upon, but it’s live service games that have kept players engaged for long periods of time. Players are investing more and more into ongoing games, like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, rather than purchasing new games.
For its part, Sony is also making an active push into live service, and has already seen massive success with Helldivers 2. In today’s presentation, the company also revealed that PlayStation Studio Bungie is raking in “stable revenue” from Destiny.
