Do Sony and Microsoft lose money on consoles?

They have something in common you might not know about; Sony and Microsoft don't earn profit with console sales. This might sound weird if we consider that those consoles are selling for millions worldwide, and they've priced for hundreds of dollars.

Do Sony and Microsoft sell consoles at a loss?

Consoles have historically been sold for less than they actually cost to produce and distribute. Sony sold the PS4 at a loss, for example, and during its comments amid the Epic vs Apple lawsuit, Microsoft admitted it has never profited from the sale of any Xbox console.

Does Microsoft lose money on consoles?

Epic court case, Microsoft revealed that it has never made a profit selling Xbox hardware, dating back to the original Xbox. Nintendo is a rare example, as it claims to sell the Nintendo Switch for a profit.

Does PlayStation make a profit on consoles?

Sony's gaming revenue

The Games & Network Services (G&NS) segment reached ¥720.7 billion ($4.87 billion) in revenue in Q2 FY2022, which is up 11.6% year-over-year. PlayStation generated ¥179.2 billion ($1.21 billion) from hardware sales, which include revenue from PS4 and PS5 consoles.

Does Microsoft sell Xbox at a loss?

During the WSJ Tech Live event, Spencer revealed that each Xbox console that is sold nets a loss of up to $200 per console. Spencer went on to describe consoles as a business model. "Consoles evolved to a business model much different from phones where consoles are actually sold at a loss in the market," said Spencer.

Sony PlayStation is VERY MAD at Xbox today...

Do consoles sell at a loss?

Of course, console manufacturers often sell consoles at a loss - with the usual exception of Nintendo. It's a widely accepted business practice to then recoup money elsewhere, such as from software sales (where platform holders take a cut) and subscriptions, such as Xbox Games Pass.

Does Sony lose money on PS5?

Sony confirmed it currently loses money on PS5 sales "resulting from strategic price points for PS5 hardware that were set lower than manufacturing costs." Aren Tai and 1,578 others like this.

Why are most consoles sold at a loss?

Companies might sell the consoles at a loss initially to lure customers, gaining market share from competitors. The strategy looks to make up for any lost revenue by selling games and online subscriptions.

Is console gaming declining?

According to the report, there were 1.1 billion PC players and 611 million console players in 2022. The 2.2% decline was mostly due to a 4.2% drop in the console gaming market, as the PC games market increased by 1.8%.

Which consoles are loss leaders?

Microsoft isn't the only console manufacturer to go with a loss leader. Sony's PlayStation has been a well-known loss leader for many years, for the same reasons as Microsoft. However, Nintendo apparently bucks the trend, and the Nintendo Switch and its various models are profitable.

Is Sony making profit on PS5?

The increase in PS5 console sales is part of the reason Sony has increased its year-end operating profit forecasts to 1.18 trillion yen (around $9.1 billion), up from 1.16 trillion yen previously, Nikkei notes.

Was PS4 sold at a loss?

The PS4 was sold at a loss on day 1. Its total build cost was $381, but the additional costs involved such as retailer margin etc... pushed the total cost for Sony over $399. Took a few months for them to make a profit on that price.

Is gaming losing popularity?

Though video gaming has been around for decades, it was the entertainment of choice for many during the pandemic. Average time spent gaming soared 16.5% between 2019 and 2020, from 12.7 to 14.8 hours per week, according to The NPD Group. That growth rate barely slowed in 2021, with time spent growing to 16.5 hours.

Are consoles built to last?

Game consoles are usually built to last for around 5 years. While they may see incremental updates over that time period, PC components update at a much faster rate. Game consoles also don't start off life with the best possible hardware. They feature somewhat limited components designed to hit a specific price point.

Is gaming getting less popular?

Despite the decline in number of people playing video games, the industry continues to see growth in the number of hours spent gaming. There was a dramatic increase in time spent playing games from 2019 to 2020, with average hours played per week jumping from 12.7 to 14.8, respectively.

What was the worst selling console?

Atari 5200

The console sold only a little over a million units.

What is the most sold console ever?

*PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time. Sony's beloved system tops Nintendo DS by roughly 5 million units sold, while handily outselling every other console in existence.

Was PS2 sold at a loss?

The production pipeline also had issues, with the company underestimating demand and not wanting to commit too much as each PS2 was being sold at a loss, with the profit made up from software sales. That said, Sony had already established itself as a serious contender in the console space.

Why is PS5 selling for $1000?

Right now, PS5 disc editions are going for around $1,000 due to scalpers cleaning up the market and jacking up prices beyond the original $500 retail price. There is still a digital version available but it's also marked up although it's out there for less than a grand.

Who keeps buying all the PS5?

Struggling to buy a PlayStation 5? Not these guys. They're snagging hundreds of them each day. A mysterious business called Cashout Kings(Opens in a new window) has been paying scalpers across North America $700 or more for their newly purchased PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles.

Why is Sony struggling to sell PS5?

The console was released in November 2020, but was very difficult to obtain for most of its lifespan. A semiconductor chip shortage limited Sony's production of new PS5 consoles. Other supply chain issues prompted by the global coronavirus pandemic didn't help.

How much money is Xbox losing?

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer claims the company is losing money for every console sold. In a new interview with CNBC, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has claimed the company is losing around US $100-200 for every Xbox Series X and Series S console sold.

Should you keep or sell old consoles?

Ultimately, the choice is yours, but this is our recommendation. If the console is dead, you obviously have no choice but to dispose of it safely as electronic waste (or you could sell it for parts to other users and repair shops). However, if it still works, then keep it.

Do gamers have a future?

Gaming is now a bigger industry than movies and sports combined. Revenue for gaming reached $184 billion in 2022, and the number of gamers is expected to grow to 3.6 billion by 2025. It's not just kids either: 38 percent of gamers are between the ages of 18 and 34 years, and 16 percent are older than 55.