Jim Ryan says PS5 is ‘well on track’ to be Sony’s most successful console ever

Jim Ryan has said that the PlayStation 5 is on track to be Sony’s most successful console “across multiple vectors.”

In an interview on the Official PlayStation Podcast to mark his retirement, Ryan was asked about his thoughts on PlayStation‘s position in the games market going forward.

“I’d say right now we’re at the top of our game,” he replied. “We’ve been really clear and really consistent about what we stand for great consoles, great console gaming experience, and great games. I would say that right now we’re at the top of our game.

“PlayStation 5 is well on track to be our most successful console ever across multiple vectors and I think the games and the gaming experiences you see on PlayStation 5, lead by PlayStation Studios, are the best that we’ve ever seen.”

Ryan wasn’t clear about what vectors he was referring to. While the PlayStation 5 would have to retain its sales strength for years in order to come close to being the company’s best-selling machine, stats like player retention and engagement could be projected to eclipse the same metrics on the PlayStation 4.

In the company’s financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2023, Sony gaming division reported another record quarter in terms of revenue, with PS5 sales reaching 54.7m, but lowered its sales forecast for the year after it fell behind in its lofty hardware target.

Sony Interactive Entertainment had set an ambitious sales target of 25 million PS5s for the year ending March 2024. However, in the latest quarter, it sold 8.2 million consoles, bringing the total for the year so far to 16.4m. The company said it now expects to fall short of its original target by 4 million units (21m).

Sony launched a new PS5 Slim model in November. Once inventory of the launch model has sold out, the Slim console will become the only one available.

Ryan continued, “The number of games we’ve published so far on PlayStation 5 at this point in the cycle, way exceeds anything that we’ve ever done before.”

It’s worth noting that it’s unclear which number Ryan is referring to here, as Sony republished a large number of classic titles on both PS4 and PS5 are part of its retro offering.

While PlayStation Studios has released a large number of exclusive titles in its first four years, it has faced criticism for releasing some of the biggest games, such as God of War Ragnarok, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5.

Jim Ryan will officially leave Sony on April 1st.

Sony announced in September that Ryan had made the decision to retire in March 2024 after almost thirty years with the PlayStation business.

In his own statement, Ryan cited difficulties juggling his home life in Europe and work responsibilities in North America.

“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024,” he said. “I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America.”