I’m about 10 hours into Saros. I think it’s excellent. While I can understand those mourning the loss of some of the rougher, more esoteric edges of Returnal, Housemarque’s previous sci-fi shooter, I think Saros generally benefits from being a more polished, finely-tuned adventure. So why doesn’t it seem to be selling all that well?
According to new estimates from Alinea Analytics, Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 exclusive has only sold just over 300,000 copies in its first two weeks. According to the firm’s internal data, that means it’s tracking slightly behind Returnal, which launched in 2021. It estimates the game has brought in $22 million in revenue so far, with early buyers, including roughly 30 percent of sales coming during the pre-release period, representing hardcore PlayStation fans. Last month’s PlayStation download charts also show Saros failing to make the top 10 with just one day on the market and three in the early access period.
This is surprising for a couple of reasons. The first is that when Returnal launched there PS5 wasn’t even a year old yet, meaning the install base was less than 10 million. Five years later, it’s nearly 100 million, and yet Saros‘ numbers are essentially flat. It’s also clear from the marketing, and having played Saros, that Housemarque aimed to make the game feel more approachable this time around.
It’s still tough as nails, but there are more conventional story beats and cinematic moments to pull players in, alongside permanent upgrades that help ease some of the difficulty ramp-up. That’s born out in the data which shows Saros has double the completion rate among its top players than Housemarque’s last game had at this point in its post-launch lifecycle.
Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliott speculates that players were hungrier for new PS5 exclusives when Returnal launched, while Saros is facing stiff competition from the entire back catalog as well recent hits like Resident Evil Requeim, Crimson Desert, and Pragamata. That could account for the gap in sales, but it’s also clear that other recent Sony first-party games are facing similar challenges.
Despite being beloved by existing fans (like me), the uphill struggle facing Bungie’s Marathon has been well documented. Sony still hasn’t released sales numbers or player numbers for the game, despite it being over two months old at this point. And what about Ghost of Yotei? The fall 2025 blockbuster was exceptional, but we don’t have updated sales data on that PS5 exclusive either.
It sold 3.3 million copies in its first month, and was a “significant” contributor to Sony’s financials over the holiday period, but the company hasn’t released updated figures over six months out. By this same point in Ghost of Tsushima‘s lifecycle, the company had already confirmed 5 million sales. That doesn’t mean the numbers are bad, but it does raise questions about how Sony can continue to expand the player base for its first-party games as console sales stagnate and development budgets continue going up.
And unlike their predecessors, Ghost of Yotei and Saros reportedly won’t be coming to PC anytime soon.
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