Sony’s Summer 2025 State of Play Breaks Records – But Was It Enough?
Summer kicked off with a bang for PlayStation fans as Sony’s June 2025 State of Play shattered viewership records, peaking at over 2.2 million concurrent viewers, according to Streams Charts. While it didn’t surpass Sony’s all-time livestream highs – like the PS5 reveal (44M views) or Horizon showcases – it became the most-watched State of Play ever.
Third-party developers took center stage this year. The show leaned heavily into Japanese talent, with major reveals from Square Enix, Capcom, Konami, Team Ninja, and others. Highlights included 007: First Light, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Silent Hill f, Romeo is a Dead Man, and even a fan-favorite return: Astro Bot.
But not everyone was sold. With virtually no major first-party reveals outside of teasers for Yotei, Saros, and Intergalactic (all likely years away), some viewers questioned Sony’s priorities. Critics noted the strategic misfire of scheduling the event during Nintendo’s hyped Switch 2 reveal and ahead of Xbox’s first-party showcase.
Yet others praised Sony for delivering a showcase with actual games – not just CGI teasers, live-service clutter, or endless battle passes. For the core gaming crowd, this event felt like it spoke directly to them: action-heavy, unapologetically mature, and packed with content that’s actually arriving soon.
Still, high viewership doesn’t automatically translate to fan satisfaction. While the numbers are impressive, many fans remain cautious, hoping to see more first-party muscle and innovation from Sony soon. Until then, the showcase may be remembered as a solid win – if not quite a showstopper.