PS4 hardware already profitable; Half of owners subscribed to PS+

Sony’s has bucked traditional hardware sales modelling by achieving a profit on each PS4 sold just six months after launch.

Back in September the company said it would make a loss on each launch unit sold, although this would be recouped proving customers also purchased a game and a PlayStation Plus subscription.

Eurogamer also reports that Sony boss Kaz Hirai has said that half of all PS4 owners have subscribed to PS+. With over 7m consoles sold, that equates to in excess of 3.5m customers paying in the region of 40 per year.

PS3 launched in 2006 but even as late as 2009 and the launch of the PS3 Slim, Sony was still making a loss on each hardware unit sold.

However, a year later in 2010 Shuhei Yoshida said that: This year is the first time that we are able to cover the cost of the PlayStation 3. We aren’t making huge money from hardware, but we aren’t bleeding like we used to.”

Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said earlier this year that the company still incurs a loss on each Wii U sold.

In May Sony reported net losses of 128.4bn for the year and a 200bn drop in operating income.