Sony isn't concerned by declining PS Plus subscribers and users
PS Plus subscribers have declined for the last two quarters
Sony isn't worried about a decline in PlayStation Plus subscribers and monthly users.
Last week, Sony held its Q1 financial results briefing (via VGC), in which the company revealed PS Plus subscribers totalled 46.3 million as of July 30. This might be an increase during the same period when comparing year-on-year figures, but it's actually a decrease when compared to the last two financial quarters.
"Of course, 104m is not a strong number," Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki says of PS Plus monthly active users. "But are we looking at it as a declining trend? We don’t think so. We are trying to analyse different elements, but there are no conspicuous trends that we can capture. Maybe this month or next month we will have to continue to watch and do an analysis."
Totoki goes on to point to the stay-at-home order for millions worldwide last year, saying that this could have increased PS Plus subscribers in 2020, which is why we're now seeing a decrease in subscribers as such orders are lifted. "So, we will monitor the situation carefully and we will deepen the engagement and enhance the platform, therefore during the coming fiscal year we will take actions to support this business," the CFO concluded.
Elsewhere though, things are looking up for Sony. After the PS5 has been particularly hard to acquire for millions around the world, the company is now planning to produce 14.8 million PS5 consoles this year alone, after announcing yesterday that it had managed to secure a supply of semiconductors. There's no question that PS5 stock has been hard to come by, despite the new hardware becoming the fastest-selling console ever, so this is surely welcome news for millions around the world.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.