Sony Boosts Memory Supplies as PS5 Surpasses Switch Sales After Five Years

The PlayStation 5 may be a few years old now, but it continues to perform impressively in sales. In fact, it outpaced the Switch 2 last quarter, even without the boost from Grand Theft Auto 6. During a recent earnings call, Sony revealed that it’s stockpiling memory to navigate the ongoing component shortage, aiming to replicate its holiday sales success in 2026.

Sony’s CFO, Lin Tao, mentioned, “We are already in a position to secure the minimum quantity necessary to manage the year-end selling season of next fiscal year. Going forward, we intend to further negotiate with various suppliers to secure enough supply to meet the demand of our customers.” He added that the company plans to adapt its hardware sales strategy flexibly, focusing on monetizing its existing user base and expanding software and network service revenue to offset rising memory costs.

Reading between the lines, it seems Sony is keen on managing console costs to avoid price hikes, instead looking to boost profits by enticing its dedicated PlayStation fans to spend more. This approach has been a hallmark of the company throughout this console generation. Here’s what else emerged from Sony’s latest earnings report.

Nintendo recently announced that the Switch 2 sold 7 million units last quarter, while Sony confirmed that the PS5 sold 8 million. This is quite remarkable, especially considering the PS5’s fall lineup wasn’t particularly standout. However, Sony was the only console manufacturer to implement significant discounts on its hardware in the U.S. and Europe during the holiday season. With the digital edition priced at $400, it was even cheaper than the $450 Switch 2. That said, Nintendo still managed to outsell PlayStation overall last quarter, with an additional 1.3 million original Switch units sold, bringing the combined total to 8.3 million.

Sony’s latest exclusive title has sparked some debate online, but that hasn’t negatively impacted its sales. According to Tao, the new open-world adventure “exceeded the sales of the previous title in the same period of time and significantly contributed to the financial results of the quarter.” It sold 3.3 million copies by last November and was among the top downloaded games on PS5 throughout the year.

Sony also reported 132 million active PlayStation accounts last quarter, marking a 2 percent increase from December 2024. Total playtime rose by 0.4 percent during this period. Given that Sony has sold 92 million PS5 units so far, this suggests a surprising number of players are still on PS4 (the 132 million figure includes multiple accounts on the same console). Many of these players might upgrade later this year with the anticipated release of GTA 6. If Rockstar’s sequel stays on schedule, PlayStation users could set an even higher record in December 2026. So, is a PlayStation 6 on the horizon? It doesn’t seem necessary just yet.