Much has been made of PlayStation and its dalliance with multiformat releases.
In a world where Microsoft has started releasing its entire portfolio to PS5, many suspect Sony to be following the same path – especially after unexpectedly porting games like Helldivers 2 to Xbox Series X|S and LEGO Horizon Adventures to the Nintendo Switch.
But interestingly, in its latest Corporate Report, the firm has removed “game revenue beyond console” from its list of “strategically emphasised indicators”.
While this featured prominently in 2024’s version of the same document, the platform holder now cites the following as key measures:
- PS5 hardware units sold globally
- PlayStation monthly active users
- Total gameplay hours
This aligns with comments the company has made in the past, where it talked about a greater focus on engagement. But it clearly understands that hardware sales are its primary path to monthly active users.
There’s no real reference in the document to explain why Sony has removed “game revenue beyond console” as a “strategically emphasised indicator”, but it’s absolutely worth noting that in Fiscal Year 24, multiformat releases accounted for just 2% of PlayStation’s overall revenue.
That figure included all of the company’s PC ports, although depending on how successful Helldivers 2 proves on Xbox Series X|S, it could see an increased share in the current fiscal year.
Nevertheless, with Sony seemingly focused on its own hardware and ecosystem, it perhaps illustrates why multiformat releases are a footnote for it.
Expect it to continue to belatedly port its titles to the PC and explore other consoles where appropriate, but it’s clear from this report that its focus is on its own platform for the foreseeable future.
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