TOKYO, Feb 6, 2026, 00:25 JST
- Sony raised its full-year operating profit forecast to 1.54 trillion yen after a record 515 billion yen in the October-December quarter.
- PlayStation 5 unit sales fell 16%, but the gaming unit’s profit rose on software and network strength.
- Sony’s Pictures business posted an 11% sales drop, with movies facing a tougher year-ago comparison.
Sony on Thursday raised its full-year forecast after posting a record quarterly operating profit, powered by its image sensor and music businesses even as PlayStation 5 hardware sales fell. Operating profit rose 22% to 515 billion yen ($3.3 billion), about 9% above the average analyst estimate compiled by LSEG, and Sony lifted its operating profit outlook by 8% to 1.54 trillion yen. (Reuters)
The numbers matter because Sony has been trying to convince investors it has more than one engine. The company has built a bigger entertainment footprint over time, but its share price has slipped in recent months as questions linger over what drives the next leg.
It also comes at an awkward moment for hardware. Memory chip prices have been rising, which can squeeze margins across consoles, phones and PCs, and the game sector has been rattled by new AI tools that could change how titles get made and sold.
Sony reported net profit attributable to shareholders of 377.3 billion yen for the October-December quarter, up 11% from a year earlier, on sales that rose 1% to 3.71 trillion yen. It raised its full-year profit forecast through March 2026 to 1.13 trillion yen, AP reported. (Apnews)
In the sensor business, Sony said sales rose 21% in the quarter, helped by smartphones. Its music business posted a 13% rise in revenue, driven by streaming plus live events and merchandising, with the company citing artists including Beyonce, Adele, SZA and Shakira.
Sony sold 8 million PS5 consoles in the quarter, a 16% drop from a year earlier. Profit in its gaming unit still rose 19% to 140.8 billion yen as software sales grew and the weak yen boosted earnings booked overseas, while the company pointed to higher engagement on the PlayStation Network.
The Pictures segment, which houses Sony’s film and TV operations, reported sales of 353.3 billion yen in the quarter, down about 11%, while operating income slipped to 30.9 billion yen. Sony pointed to a tougher comparison in movies after “Venom: The Last Dance” lifted the year-earlier period. (Variety)
Sony also expanded its share buyback plan to up to 150 billion yen from 100 billion yen previously, and said the programme runs through May. Shares rose after the results but ended the session flat.
But the setup is not clean. Sony said it has secured the minimum memory it needs for the next year-end shopping season and will keep negotiating with suppliers, while warning that AI adoption in videogames is adding uncertainty; Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao said in the earnings briefing that recent orders were stable and “the supply chain concerns we mentioned … have receded.” (Sony)
A near-term bright spot could be software. Sony has said its console business should get a boost from Take-Two Interactive’s delayed “Grand Theft Auto VI,” scheduled for release in November. “GTA VI” will “lead to eye-popping sales for the PS5,” said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy.
For now, Sony’s latest quarter shows where the weight is. Sensors and music did the heavy lifting again, cushioning a slowdown in a console cycle that is no longer new, and giving management room to keep spending and buying back stock without spooking markets.
