Sony has released its financial results for the first quarter of FY2026, with the company’s PlayStation business delivering a sharp increase in profitability despite revenue remaining almost unchanged. The Game and Network Services segment generated revenue of ¥937.1 billion for the quarter ended 31 July 2026, up slightly from ¥936.5 billion a year earlier, while operating income climbed 37% year over year to ¥202.0 billion.
The increase in operating profit came even as PlayStation faced weaker hardware and software sales during the quarter. Sony said foreign exchange movements added ¥81.7 billion to sales and contributed ¥19.1 billion to operating income. The company also benefited from U.S. tariff refunds.
Those gains were partly offset by lower sales of non-first-party software, a decline in PlayStation 5 hardware sales, and higher costs tied to investments in its next-generation platform and restructuring expenses.
Despite the softer sales performance, the PlayStation ecosystem continued to grow. Monthly active users reached a record 125 million accounts in June, an increase of 2% compared with the same period last year. Sony said total playtime fell 4% year over year, partly because the prior year’s first quarter had benefited from major seasonal updates and the release of hit games.
Sony also raised its full-year outlook for the Game and Network Services segment. The company now expects FY2026 revenue of ¥4.54 trillion, up from its previous forecast of ¥4.42 trillion. Operating income guidance was also increased to ¥660 billion from ¥600 billion.
Across the wider business, Sony reported revenue of ¥2.838 trillion for the quarter, up 8.2% year over year. Operating income rose 40.2% to ¥476.5 billion, while net income attributable to shareholders increased 32.1% to ¥342.2 billion.
According to Sony, the largest contributors to the company’s improved operating performance during the quarter were its Imaging and Sensing Solutions business and the Game and Network Services segment.
