Circana's latest read shows Sony's U.S. PlayStation 5 unit sales up 22% in September, with hardware revenue up 43%. That revenue lift put the Tokyo-based company at the top of the console makers for the period. Price increases over the past year alongside rising interest in the upgraded PS5 Pro did a lot of the heavy lifting.
The $900 PS5 Pro, a more powerful version of the PS5, is either sold out or only sporadically in stock at major online sellers around the world, including Amazon, Best Buy, MediaMarkt and Yodobashi Camera. Set for Nov. 19, GTA 6 is coming exclusively to PlayStation hardware and to Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox machines, and many consider the Pro the best way to enjoy the game's high-fidelity visuals ahead of a subsequent PC debut. Buzz also surged after an exclusive GTA 6 short film topped Netflix's rankings in September, while Twitch chief Dan Clancy cautioned studios that the title is poised to dominate holiday focus.
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GTA 6 is boosting demand for a PlayStation platform that is almost six years into its run and nearing time for a successor. Like its peers, Sony is navigating higher memory costs that are squeezing margins on each new unit produced. Circana further noted that, after a price hike, September unit sales for Kyoto-based Nintendo Co.'s far more recent Switch 2 fell 14% year over year. In plain English: enthusiasm is concentrating where the big launch is, while costs remain a headwind for hardware makers.
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