Sony reports PlayStation Plus subscribers declined to 45.4M in Q2, down from 47.3M in Q1, and PlayStation Network MAUs dropped to 102M in Q2 from 103M in Q1
PlayStation Plus subscribers have dropped by nearly 2 million users since the revamped service launched in June.
Video Games ChronicleAndy Robinson
Context & Ripple Effects
PlayStation Plus had exceeded 41 million subscribers in Sony’s 2020 reporting, then recorded a quarterly decline in Sony’s 2021 earnings update. The revamped service’s June launch now coincides with another, larger sequential drop.
The accompanying decline in PlayStation Network activity matters because Plus retention is being tested against a slightly smaller active audience, not just a changing subscription offer.
First-order effects
Sony enters the post-revamp period with 45.4 million PlayStation Plus subscribers, down from 47.3 million in the prior quarter.
PlayStation Network’s monthly active base falls by 1 million quarter over quarter, reducing Sony’s immediately reported audience reach alongside the subscription decline.
Second-order effects
The paired declines make subscriber retention and conversion within PlayStation Network more important measures of whether the revamped Plus tiers are sustaining demand.
Sony’s network-services business has a smaller reported pool of paying Plus members and active users to monetize than it did in Q1.
Third-order effects
Repeated quarterly Plus declines, following the earlier 2021 subscriber contraction, point to a subscription-growth gap in which service redesigns must defend retention as well as add members.
If this pattern persists, console subscription competition will be judged less by launch-period tier changes and more by whether platforms can maintain engagement among their existing network audiences.
The trend: Console subscription services are moving from expansion narratives toward a retention test, with active-network engagement increasingly tied to paid-member stability.
PlayStation Plus Is Down 2 Million Subscribers After Program Refresh
@nickstatt
Nick Statt on x
PS Plus is in a weird spot. The only reason anyone would feel compelled to sub is Call of Duty and the other vanishingly rare “premium” multiplayer games like Destiny 2. Because the extra and premium tiers just don't offer enough value on their own. No wonder it's down. https://t…
@andyplaytonic
Andy Robinson on x
Update: Sony says the PS Plus subscriber decline was influenced by “a greater decline in user engagement among PS4 users than expected”. “On the other hand, the ratio of PS Plus subscribers among PS5 users remains at a level significantly higher” https://www.videogameschronicle.c…
@falkoopa_
@falkoopa_ on x
Sony sales manager with tears in his eyes “Please stop touching grass, the company is going under” https://twitter.com/...
@andyplaytonic
Andy Robinson on x
However, it's worth noting that despite the decline in subscribers, Sony's Network services revenue - which encompasses PS Plus and advertising - actually increased by 10%, potentially reflecting the uptake of the more expensive subscription tiers.
@andyplaytonic
Andy Robinson on x
PlayStation Plus has lost nearly 2 million subscribers since its revamp in June, with Sony blaming declining third-party game sales and ‘more people going outdoors’. https://www.vgc.news/...
@tomwarren
Tom Warren on x
PS Plus numbers are still way up compared to pre-pandemic (October 2019) https://twitter.com/...
Gameranx
Ryan Parreno on x
Sony Has Shipped 25 Million PlayStation 5s - But Profits Are Down
@_tom_henderson_
Tom Henderson on x
PS5 FY22 sales: - Planning to exceed year 2's PS4 sales of 14.8 million (currently at 5.7 million PS5s sold so far for FY22) - Supply issues with semiconductors which could mean they don't hit their target - Sony sold only 100K more PS5s in FY22 Q1 & Q2 compared to FY21 Q1 & Q2
@_tom_henderson_
Tom Henderson on x
- Forecasts given mean Sony needs to sell 9.1 million PS5's in FY22 Q3 & Q4. - Sony sold 5.9 million PS5's in FY21 Q3 & Q4 I do have Sony's original projections for FY22 sales, but I don't think they are going to hit that. 14.8 million number might be close.
@firstadopter
Tae Kim on x
“Regarding production of PS5 hardware, restrictions on the supply of materials and logistics have significantly eased, and the number of units produced during the quarter exceeded 6.5 million, progressing faster than planned.” https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren
Tom Warren on x
Sony's PlayStation Q2 earnings: • 3.3 million PS5 sales, flat YoY • 45.4 million PS Plus subscribers, down 4% ❌ • 62.5 million in software sales, down 18% ❌ • 102 million PSN active users, down 2% ❌ https://www.theverge.com/ https://twitter.com/...
@firstadopter
Tae Kim on x
Sony: “We recognize that demand from customers for the PS5 continues to be strong .. To meet this strong demand, we will do our utmost to bring forward supply into the year-end holiday selling season and aim to exceed our FY22 forecast of 18 million units.” https://twitter.com/..…
@tomwarren
Tom Warren on x
I'm surprised at PS Plus subscriptions being down, as Sony launched its new PS Plus subs just before this Q. Sony has also cut its annual profit forecasts for its games division from around $1.7 billion to $1.5 billion https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...